Two women believed to be the wife and mother of notorious wanted terrorist Ado Aliero have been arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities in the holy city of Medina, sparking diplomatic and security concerns between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The women were reportedly apprehended inside a mosque in Medina after being identified by intelligence sources.
Their presence in the country, especially in such a sensitive religious location, has raised eyebrows, given Aliero’s long-standing status on Nigeria’s most-wanted list.
The development was first revealed by Zagazola Makama, a well-known counter-insurgency publication that monitors terrorism and insecurity in the Lake Chad region.
The platform shared a video online showing the women believed to be Aliero’s relatives and tagged the Nigerian Army headquarters on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Ado Aliero, a notorious bandit kingpin, was first declared wanted by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in November 2020, alongside 18 other high-profile terrorism suspects.
His notoriety grew when, in July 2022, he was controversially turbaned as Sarkin Fulani (Chief of the Fulani) in Zamfara State, drawing national and international outrage.
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Despite being widely known for leading deadly attacks, kidnappings, and extortion rings across the North-West, Aliero continued to evade capture.
In 2024, he was again listed among 97 wanted terrorists published by the Nigerian military.
The arrest of his wife and mother on Saudi soil marks a new dimension in the pursuit of high-profile terror suspects. It has raised questions about possible international networks supporting Nigeria’s insurgent groups, and how key operatives or family members manage to travel and operate beyond Nigeria’s borders.
When contacted for an official comment, Onyinyechi Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, described the matter as “a strategic issue that involves bilateral security issues.”
She declined to provide further details, directing inquiries to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) or the National Orientation Agency (NOA), agencies more directly involved in cross-border intelligence and diplomatic communication.
Efforts to reach Brigadier General Edward Buba, spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, were ongoing at the time of this publication, with no response received yet.
While the Nigerian government has yet to officially confirm the identities of the detained women, the arrest underscores the global dimension of Nigeria’s internal security threats.
Experts have long warned that some terror leaders and their family members use religious pilgrimages and transnational routes to evade scrutiny and law enforcement.
Security analysts say the Saudi arrest may mark a turning point in international collaboration against terrorism, particularly if it leads to fresh intelligence on the movements and support systems of terror cells operating within and outside Nigeria.
It remains unclear whether the women will be extradited to Nigeria or face charges under Saudi law. There is also no confirmation on whether Ado Aliero himself is in Saudi Arabia or in contact with those arrested.
As the situation develops, attention is now on Nigeria’s diplomatic channels and intelligence community to leverage the arrest for deeper cooperation and to possibly uncover more about the whereabouts and operations of one of the country’s most wanted criminals.