A Nigerian pilgrim was detained in Saudi Arabia amid confusion around her association with a suspicious luggage that was mistakenly marked by Ethiopian Airlines.
After Saudi authorities asserted that Maryam Hussaini-Abdullahi’s information were linked to a “Ghana-must-go” bag containing what they thought to be marijuana, they prevented her and her husband Abdullahi Baffa from going home after they performed the smaller Hajj on August 6.
Baffa claims that the couple’s baggage were reported missing upon arrival in Jeddah, despite the fact that they had only two suitcases that had been cleared at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport. After they filled out a complaint form, the airline allegedly told them to wait 48 hours for a response.
The reason we had to purchase new garments in Madinah, Baffa said, was because we did not have any spares. “Right after eight days, someone informed me that one of the bags was ready for pickup. However, I politely requested its return to Nigeria instead.”
When the pair tried to get on their way back to the airport, their nightmare intensified. Immigration authorities sent Baffa and Maryam to an investigative centre in Makkah after clearing Baffa’s paperwork but excluding Maryam.
Saudi authorities said at the time that she was associated with a suspicious bag. Upon closer examination, however, it became clear that the couple’s luggage tag numbers did not correspond. Regardless, Maryam was remanded into custody to await additional inquiry.
According to what she told me, the detectives showed her a Ghana-must-go bag that included some weird objects. According to Baffa, who is accusing Ethiopian Airlines of carelessness and possibly a cover-up, she has absolutely nothing to do with that bag.
He went on to say that the airline had privately acknowledged that the contents of the luggage were “not incriminating” and promised a resolution, but his wife is still in jail.
Subsequently, the Nigerian Consulate in Madinah took action, with representatives affirming that they are coordinating with the Saudi government.
The mission has received a formal complaint, according to Consul General Muazam Nayaya, who added that they will report their findings to Abuja.
The difficulty of tracking bags across various transit points was pointed up by an Ethiopian Airlines employee who informed reporters that the situation was being investigated.
Baffa has demanded the immediate release of CCTV evidence from Kano Airport in an effort to establish his wife’s innocence and has urged the Nigerian government to act swiftly.
Some Middle Eastern countries, like Libya and Saudi Arabia, have some of the harshest drug laws in the world. Possession of narcotics is often punished with severe penalties, including the death penalty.