Four intending hajj pilgrims have been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while trying to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The suspects lodged at Emerald Hotel in the Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos State, were caught ingesting wraps of cocaine ahead of their flight to the holy land on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
The four suspects were identified as Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38; and Ayinla Kemi, 34.
“The suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel, preparing 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms. One hundred wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each room, making a total seizure of 200 wraps. Two suspects were set to swallow 100 wraps each,” NDLEA stated.
Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the Commander, officers, and men of the Lagos State Command of the NDLEA for conducting the operation.
He emphasized that the agency will continue to extend its efforts to track, trace, and apprehend criminal elements attempting to use the pilgrimage to carry out illegal activities that could tarnish the country’s image.
The NDLEA chief also stated that the agency would collaborate with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the designated recipients of the seized illicit drug consignments in Saudi Arabia are also traced and dealt with accordingly.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Health has approved the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to operate two main clinics for Nigerian pilgrims in Makkah.
The Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Malam Jalal Arabi, made this known in a statement by the commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Mrs Fatima Sanda-Usara, on Sunday in Abuja.
Arabi said the approval letter was received by Dr Abubakar Isma’eel, NAHCON’s Head of Medical Mission for the 2024 Hajj Season.
“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is happy to announce that it has received approval to operate two main clinics in Makkah in the meantime.
“The Saudi Ministry of Health revealed this development through its medical consultants attached to Ithra Alkhair Company, NAHCON’s chosen service providers, otherwise known as Mu’assasa. The two main clinics are those located at Masfala/Kudai and Shari’e Al-Mansour areas. They serve as the medical head offices,” he said.
Arabi also said that approval to start running three other outpost clinics (Triage Outposts 1, 2, and 3) was still awaited.
“Dr A-Isma’eel expressed optimism that within the next 48–72 hours, the three outposts would also receive full approval to operate optimally. The proposed outposts are located at Nasarawa, Ogun/Oyo, and Borno pilgrim houses in Makkah, respectively,” the chairman explained.
He said that the GPS of the outpost locations would be made available to the Nigerian pilgrims within hours of approval.
“It should be noted that the outposts are strategically situated within pilgrims’ hotel clusters to aid accessibility,” he noted.