Maryam remains in custody after Saudi officials reportedly chained her hands and legs while investigating a “Ghana must go” sack wrongly associated with her.
Ethiopian Airlines staff members and baggage handlers have been named among suspects in the case of Maryam Hussaini-Abdullahi, the Nigerian woman detained in Saudi Arabia after her name was allegedly linked to a marijuana-filled bag.
Maryam remains in custody after Saudi officials reportedly chained her hands and legs while investigating a “Ghana must go” sack wrongly associated with her.
Her husband, Abdullahi Baffa, who spoke to SaharaReporters, lamented that their children were left at home while the couple embarked on what they thought would be a short trip.
Baffa accused Ethiopian Airlines of criminal negligence, insisting that the suspicious bag was attached to his wife’s luggage without her knowledge or consent.
“We are still on the matter, but prayer is the best option now,” he told SaharaReporters.
“Video footage and names of the suspects were sent to me, but security agencies pleaded with me not to share with anybody yet,” he said.
“All the suspects in Nigeria are out, and they are with the security agency. The suspects are the handlers and Ethiopian airline staff.”
He said the airline itself had admitted wrongdoing.
“The Ethiopian airline confessed that baggage was added to her name. Some video footage shows the suspect who committed all the crime,” he added.
When asked if he could provide the video evidence, Baffa said he could not share further details yet.
“But the Nigerian Government is taking over the case now,” he added.
Earlier, Baffa explained that both he and Maryam travelled with one bag each and were properly cleared at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport. They later discovered their luggage was missing after arriving in Jeddah on August 7.
He said security operatives at the Rihab Centre in Makkah compared Maryam’s tag numbers with the impounded sack and found inconsistencies, yet still detained her for further investigation.
Baffa condemned what he described as “unholy conduct” by the airline, demanding justice for his wife as the matter now lies under government control.
When SaharaReporters contacted Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations at Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), both said they were not aware of Maryam’s arrest as of the time of filing this report.
