The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested and arraigned seven airport staff suspected to be planting hard drugs in passengers luggage at Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The accused are Idris Umar Shehu (alias Umar Sanda), Sanni Suleiman, Nuhu Adamu, Rhoda Adetunji, Udosen Itoro Henry and Sanni Hamisu.
NDLEA said it uncovered the drug cartel after an investigation of a Nigerian lady arrested in Saudi Arabia for allegedly flying into the country with tramadol.
Zainab’s arrest opened the lead for NDLEA to discover that “many Nigerians arrested and executed for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia might be innocent”.
Zainab was arrested by Saudi Arabia Police on December 26, 2018, shortly after arriving for Lesser Hajj.
She was later arrested over allegations that luggage, bearing her name tag, contained the unlawful substance.
According to a report of the investigation, a copy of which was made available to journalists yesterday, a suspected cartel in the airport had planted the tramadol-bearing luggage on Zainab.
In the report, which has since been forwarded to the Consul-General in Jeddah for action, it was further established that Zainab who, like her mother and sister, had only one piece of luggage, and was not aware that a second bag had her name on the label.
“Based on the investigation activities carried out, it has been revealed that the said Zainab Habibu Aliyu is not the owner of the second luggage tagged in her name,” the NDLEA said.