Luggage mix-up leads to Kano woman’s detention in Saudi Arabia on marijuana charges
A Kano woman, Maryam Hussaini-Abdullahi, has been detained in Saudi Arabia after her family claims an Ethiopian Airlines luggage mix-up linked her to a bag containing marijuana.
Mrs. Hussaini-Abdullahi and her husband, Abdullahi Baffa, arrived in Jeddah on August 7 for the lesser Hajj.
According to Mr. Baffa, the couple departed from Malam Aminu Kano International Airport with a single bag each, both of which were cleared before they left. However, they were unable to find their luggage upon arrival and were told to wait 48 hours after filing a missing bag complaint with Ethiopian Airlines staff.
Mr. Baffa said they bought new clothes in Madinah while awaiting an update. More than a week later, the airline informed him that one of the bags had been found in Jeddah, but he refused to collect it and requested that it be sent back to Nigeria. The situation escalated on August 14 when they tried to return home and Mrs. Hussaini-Abdullahi was barred from boarding her flight.
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Saudi immigration then directed the couple to the Rihab Centre in Makkah, where police claimed her name was linked to a “Ghana must go” sack filled with suspicious items. Mr. Baffa said security operatives confirmed that the bag had her name on it but a different luggage number from the one issued to them in Nigeria. Despite this, she was detained for questioning.
“When I visited her, she told me they showed her a sack with wrapped items that were completely strange to us. My wife is innocent,” he said, accusing Ethiopian Airlines of a cover-up. He also mentioned that airline representatives had privately told him that the bag’s contents were not incriminating, but his wife is still being held.
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Mr. Baffa appealed to the Nigerian government for her release and urged authorities at Aminu Kano International Airport to release CCTV footage of their departure.
A source at Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that an investigation has been launched, noting that the process will involve multiple stations. The Nigerian Consul General in Jeddah, Muazam Nayaya, also confirmed that the consulate is aware of the situation and has started an inquiry.
The case is similar to that of Zainab Aliyu, a Nigerian student who was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2018 after a drug-filled bag was fraudulently tagged in her name.
She was later cleared of all charges and released in 2019 after the Nigerian government intervened.
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