- The arrests were confirmed by SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the command’s spokesperson
- Two suspects, Auwal Ishaq and Idris Sani Suleiman, informed police that Hajiya Sharifat Abdullahi engaged their wives to transport an undisclosed substance through Lagos Airport to Saudi Arabia
Kano State Police have apprehended three individuals on charges of allegedly aiding the trafficking of cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the arrests through an official statement.
He disclosed that two of the apprehended suspects, Auwal Ishaq and Idris Sani Suleiman, informed the police that Hajiya Sharifat Abdullahi had engaged their wives under a mutual agreement to accompany her on a pilgrimage journey. The arrangement involved transporting an undisclosed substance obtained through their connection at Lagos Airport, with the intention to deliver the substance to an individual at the airport in Saudi Arabia.
According to him, “On 11/07/2023 at about 1200hrs, one Auwal Ishaq of Kawo Quarters and Idris Sani Suleiman of Medile Quarters, Kano jointly reported to police that they were contacted in June 2023 by one Hajiya Sharifat Abdullahi of Kuregen Sani Hotoro, Kano to allow their wives to travel through international routes via Lagos Airport Terminal”.
“One of the complainants, Auwal Ishaq, claimed that he paid the sum of six million naira (N6,000,000:00) for his two wives; Binta Nasidi and Zulaihat Ahmed Adam, while Idris Sani Suleiman also claimed to have paid three million naira (N3,000,000:00) for his one wife, Rashida Abdullahi, on agreement for travelling together to perform Pilgrimage rites with the arrangement that they would convey some undisclosed substance in Saudi Arabia.
SP Kiyawa explained that both the complainants raised their concerns to the police that since their departure from Nigeria they have lost contact with them and all efforts to reach them proved abortive.
He said later, one of the complainants reported back to police that he received information through a phone call from one of his wives that after the completion of this year’s Hajj Operational activities, they were all arrested by the Saudi Arabian Authority for offences of trafficking in substance suspected to be Cocaine.
SP Kiyawa said police investigation led to the arrest of the principal suspect; Hajiya Sharifat Abdullahi and confirmed that the complainants
were part of the arrangement and are aware that their wives will be used as couriers of the said undisclosed contents to be delivered to a lady at the Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The two wives of Auwal were promised one million naira (N1,000,000:00) each when they are back after successful delivery, while Idris Sani was promised one 150,000:00 payment to him for playing a middleman role who already lied and in a deceitful manner claimed to be the husband of Rashidat Abdullahi.
According to the suspect (Hajiya Sharifat), “The two wives of one of the complainants (Auwal) were promised one million naira (N1,000,000:00) each when they were back after successful delivery, while Idris Sani was promised one Hundred and fifty thousand Naira (150,000:00) payment to him for playing a middleman role.”
SP Kiyawa also stated that the suspect (Hajiya Sharifat) confessed to having conspired with the other complainant (Idris Sani Suleiman) in the recruitment of people for the said Kano-based cartel of human and drug trafficking businesses.
He said both the complainants were turned into accused persons and were arrested.
The police spokesman said the case has been transferred to the state office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the completion of the investigation.