Saudi Frees Three Nigerian Pilgrims Detained Over Alleged Drug Trafficking

Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims earlier detained in Jeddah on allegations of drug trafficking, following weeks of intense diplomatic and security interventions by the Federal Government.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.

He was represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Marwa identified the pilgrims as Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi, Mrs. Bahijja Abdullahi and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq, who regained freedom after spending four weeks in Saudi custody.

He explained that the development followed sustained engagement with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia, backed by President Bola Tinubu’s directive that no Nigerian should suffer unjustly abroad.

According to him, the interventions enjoyed the active support of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN); and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The NDLEA boss revealed that investigations showed a drug syndicate at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, had tagged illicit drug-laden bags with the names of unsuspecting pilgrims on an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah on August 6, 2025.

He said the probe, triggered by petitions from the families of the detainees, led to the arrest of the mastermind, 55-year-old Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, along with three accomplices: airline staff identified as Celestina Yayock, Abdulbasit Sagagi and Jazuli Kabir.

“Armed with the outcome of our investigation, charges filed against the syndicate members, and other evidence to establish the innocence of the pilgrims, we engaged Saudi authorities at multiple levels,” Marwa said.

He disclosed that one of the pilgrims was released on September 14, while the remaining two regained their freedom the following day.

Marwa commended the Saudi GDNC for honoring the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with Nigeria, noting that the outcome reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to protecting citizens abroad.

“The biggest support for our efforts came from President Tinubu, who is committed to ensuring that Nigerians receive their deserved respect and fair treatment across the world. This outcome demonstrates that no Nigerian will be unjustly punished for crimes they did not commit anywhere in the world,” he added.

CARICOM Calls for Nominations for 2025 Women, Youth Energy Awards

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has announced the opening of nominations for the 2025 editions of the Women in Sustainable Energy Awards (WISE) and the Sustainable Energy Youth Awards (SEYA), aimed at celebrating excellence, innovation, and inclusivity in the energy sector.

In a statement, the CARICOM Secretariat said nominations will remain open until 31 August 2025, urging citizens and residents across the region to either apply or nominate deserving peers, mentors or mentees.

The awards, organised in partnership with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), are designed to spotlight the roles of women and youth as professionals, entrepreneurs, policy advocates and community champions driving the clean energy transition.

According to CARICOM, WISE seeks to honour women who have made outstanding contributions at community, national, regional, or international levels. Submissions will be assessed in four categories: Business/Entrepreneurship; Social Impact, Community and Advocacy; Policy and Regulations; and Utilities and Industry.

On the other hand, SEYA focuses on individuals between 16 and 35 years old, recognising young innovators and advocates whose work reflects creativity, leadership, and commitment to the sustainable energy movement across public, private, and civil society sectors.

Both awards will be presented at the 9th Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF IX) scheduled to hold in Grenada from 28 to 30 October 2025.

The Secretariat noted that the initiative also seeks to promote gender diversity and intergenerational leadership as critical elements for the success of the region’s energy transition agenda.

Nigeria Deports 50 Chinese, Dozens of Others in Crackdown on Cybercrime Syndicate

Nigeria has deported dozens of foreigners, including 50 Chinese nationals, in a sweeping crackdown on what authorities described as one of the country’s “largest foreign-led cybercrime syndicates.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which coordinated the operation, said the deportations followed convictions for offences bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

“This brings the total number of repatriated convicted foreign nationals to 102 in the ongoing exercise,” the Commission announced in a statement.

The deportees were part of 192 suspects arrested in Lagos last Friday during a sting operation code-named Eagle Flush.

According to the EFCC, actionable intelligence had linked the suspects to a sprawling cybercrime ring operating across Nigerian cities.

Of those arrested, 148 were Chinese nationals, while the others included citizens of the Philippines and several West African countries.

Photos released on Thursday by the EFCC showed the foreigners lined up at an airport, wearing facemasks and clutching their luggage, moments before boarding flights back to their home countries. The agency added that “further deportations are scheduled in the coming days.”

This marks the second major clampdown on foreign cybercriminals in less than a year. In December last year, nearly 800 suspects — including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipinos — were arrested in connection with organised online romance scams and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.

Nigeria has long battled the scourge of cybercrime, popularly associated with so-called Yahoo Boys.

While local syndicates remain widespread, the involvement of foreign nationals has added a new layer to the country’s cyber-fraud landscape.

The EFCC links the rising wave of internet crime to youth unemployment, a weak regulatory environment and the lure of quick wealth.

Experts have also warned that the growing sophistication of these schemes poses a major risk to Nigeria’s digital economy.

Global tech giants have also waded into the fight. Last year, Meta — owners of Instagram and Facebook — removed thousands of Nigerian-linked accounts and more than 5,700 Facebook groups tied to sextortion and online scam networks.

Despite sustained enforcement, the Commission maintains that international collaboration remains key to breaking up transnational cybercrime networks.