For the second time in 10 months, the Federal Government of Nigeria on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari through its agencies has rescued another Nigerian, Malam Ibrahim Ibrahim, an indigene of Zamafara State, from being executed by Saudi
Arabia authorities over drug related matters.
This cheering news was contained in a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations of Nigeria in Diaspora Commission, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, announced the cheering news to stakeholders on Migration and Diaspora affairs in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa said Ibrahim, a Cleric, was an innocent Nigerian that fell victim of a drug planting/trafficking syndicate when he travelled to Saudi Arabia in March 2017 for lesser hajj.
On getting to the Jeddah airport, he was held, charged, tried in Saudi Arabia and found guilty despite being innocent before a case of retrial was granted.
This re-trial, which was facilitated by the multi-government collaboration of NIDCOM; the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Zamfara State Government came up on Tuesday (today), with necessary documentary evidence, leading to the acquittal and discharge of Ibrahim on allegations of drugs possession.
Those in the delegation to the trial in Saudi Arabia included Abdullahi Bello, Head, Legal Unit of NIDCOM; Zamfara State Commissioner of Special Duties, Alhaji Mohammed Saddiq Maiturare; a team of Lawyers facilitated by Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle; and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
The documentary evidences provided included a written statement by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, stating that it had arrested and charged three persons who planted the drugs on the defendant and a certified copy of the two counts charge sheet from the Federal High Court, Kano.
It will be recalled that in April 2019, NIDCOM in conjunction with the Nigeria Mission in Saudi Arabia secured the release of Zainab Habib Aliyu, another Nigerian wrongly accused of drug trafficking.
A’liyu’s release came after President Buhari directed Malami to take necessary action on her detention by Saudi Arabia authorities as she was falsely accused of drug peddling in Saudi Arabia in December 2018.
Investigations by the Federal government revealed that the drug was planted in her luggage by a cartel that specialises in planting drugs in the bags of unsuspecting travellers.