Maryam Hussaini-Abdullahi, a Nigerian woman, has reportedly been detained and chained by Saudi authorities following a luggage mishap involving Ethiopian Airlines, her husband, Abdullahi Baffa, has alleged. The incident occurred after her luggage was mistakenly linked to a bag containing marijuana.
Baffa told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that his wife’s hands and legs were chained during the investigation. “My wife was arrested and detained by the Saudi Arabian Government. She said they chained her hands and legs,” he said.
The couple had left their children at home, expecting a short trip. “We left the children at home, planning to be back home after seven days. Today I’m going back to know her situation,” Baffa added.
According to him, Ethiopian Airlines wrongfully attached the suspicious bag to Maryam’s luggage without her consent. Both he and his wife travelled with a single, properly cleared bag each at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport. Upon arriving in Jeddah on August 7 via Addis Ababa, they discovered Maryam’s luggage was missing, prompting a report to the luggage claim desk.
After purchasing essentials in Madinah, the couple attempted to return to Nigeria but were blocked from travelling. “Ethiopian Airlines cleared my passport but said my wife had been blocked from travelling. When I enquired, the immigration officers referred us to the Rihab Centre in Makkah,” Baffa explained.
Security operatives compared her luggage tags with the impounded bag but found no match. “The bag was tagged with her name, and the police attached her pictures to the bag – but luckily, the number on the bag was different from the one issued to us by the airline. But they insisted on detaining her pending further investigations,” he said.
Baffa accused the airline of attempting a cover-up, saying, “If that claim is true, why is my wife in detention, and why would they engage in such unholy conduct? This is a pure act of criminality, and we will not take it lightly.”
READ MORE:
NAFDAC Shuts Down Abuja Pharmacy, Over Expired Drugs
