The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has lauded the joint efforts of several government agencies that resulted in the successful release of three Nigerians who were wrongfully detained in Saudi Arabia on charges of alleged drug trafficking.
In a statement released by the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Gabriel Odu, the Chairman emphasized that the coordinated response from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah is a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad.
The three Nigerians, identified as Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddieq, had been held for four weeks but were ultimately found innocent and discharged of all charges.
Dabiri-Erewa expressed immense relief over the positive outcome, noting that the Nigerian government will always stand firm to protect its citizens from suffering punishment for crimes they did not commit. She recalled similar instances, such as the cases of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Ibrahim, who were also wrongfully freed from similar charges in Saudi Arabia years ago.
The NiDCOM boss appealed to all Nigerians traveling abroad to adhere strictly to the laws of their host countries. She also urged travelers to listen to the warnings issued by the NDLEA, specifically stressing the importance of carefully cross-checking their luggage tags before checking in their bags to prevent being used as unwitting couriers by criminal syndicates.
Finally, Dabiri-Erewa extended her appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation and for reviewing the case, which led to the exoneration of the innocent individuals.
