Release of Three Nigerians Detained in Saudi Arabia for Drug Trafficking

Babatunji Wusu –

• Three Nigerian women—Hadiza Abba, Fatima Umate Malah, and Fatima Kannai Gamboi—were released after 10 months of detention in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking.
• Their release followed extensive diplomatic negotiations and legal efforts by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The women were initially arrested in March 2024 at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, after being linked to a drug trafficking case involving two Nigerians caught with large quantities of cocaine.
• The trio was suspected of being accomplices but have now been acquitted following prolonged diplomatic and legal interventions.
• The women have been handed over to the Nigerian Consulate-General in Jeddah and are awaiting immigration procedures to return home.

The Nigerian government has successfully secured the release of three nationals—Hadiza Abba, Fatima Umate Malah, and Fatima Kannai Gamboi—who had been detained in Saudi Arabia for nearly 10 months on charges of drug trafficking. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that their freedom followed intense diplomatic negotiations and legal efforts.

The three women were initially arrested on March 5, 2024, at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, after being implicated in a drug trafficking operation involving two other Nigerians found with substantial amounts of cocaine. They were suspected of abetting the trafficking activities.

The arrest drew significant attention both in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, but thanks to prolonged diplomatic engagement, the trio was acquitted and later handed over to the Nigerian Consulate-General in Jeddah. Ambassador Muazam Nayaya received them, and they are now awaiting immigration clearance to return to Nigeria and reunite with their families.