The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, announced the development in a statement on Wednesday issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.
Gatekeepers News reports that the three Nigerians — Mr. Abdulhamid Sadieq, Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi and Mrs. Bahijah Abdullahi — were arrested in August 2025 at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah. According to Tuggar, prohibited substances were fraudulently attached to their air tickets at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) by criminal syndicates without their knowledge.
Tuggar explained that once the matter was reported, the Nigerian Consul-General in Jeddah, Amb. Muazam Nayaya, immediately engaged Saudi authorities and alerted headquarters in Abuja.
“Upon notification, the Consul-General of Nigeria in Jeddah, Amb. Muazam Nayaya, immediately engaged Saudi authorities and informed Headquarters in Abuja. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was also requested to support the investigations.”
He added that the mission maintained constant contact with Saudi officials, conducted prison visits and provided legal representation for the detainees.
The minister noted that the release of the three Nigerians reflects the government’s commitment to citizen protection abroad, in line with the 4D Doctrine of President Bola Tinubu.
After thorough investigations, Saudi authorities cleared the Nigerians of all wrongdoing and released them on September 14 and 15, 2025.
Tuggar said:
“A temporary travel restriction has been fully lifted.
Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi and Mrs. Bahijah Abdullahi returned to Nigeria on November 5, 2025.
The travel ban on Mr. Sadieq was lifted on December 2, 2025, and arrangements for his return are ongoing.”
He commended the professionalism of Saudi authorities, as well as the efforts of the NDLEA and the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, which he said were pivotal in securing justice.
Zamfara Governor Raises Alarm Over Worsening Security Situation
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has warned that the state’s deteriorating security crisis now threatens not only Zamfara but the entire Northern region.
Lawal said the escalating insecurity in the North-West carries far-reaching implications for regional stability, food security, rural livelihoods, and national sovereignty.
He stressed the need for frontline states to adopt a coordinated, intelligence-driven and decisive approach to tackling banditry and criminal networks.
“Zamfara continues to bear the heaviest weight of banditry in the North-West. The state is experiencing escalating killings and mass abductions, disruptions to farming and rural livelihoods, attacks on highways and border communities, displacement of thousands, and an erosion of public confidence and social cohesion,” he said.
The governor noted that Zamfara’s role as a strategic transit and operational base for multiple criminal groups makes its vulnerability a direct threat to neighbouring states including Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and beyond.
