The Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commended the collaborative efforts of 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 that led to the release of three Nigerians detained in Saudi Arabia over alleged drug trafficking.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement through the Media, Public Relations and Protocols unit of NiDCOM, Gabriel Odu, emphasised that the the successful release of the detained Nigerians is another testament to the fact that President Bola Tinubu’s administration of Renewed Hope Agenda, in ensuring that no Nigerian anywhere in world suffers punishment for a crime they did not commit.
According to her, the three Nigerians, which includes Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu and Abdulhamid Saddieq, were found innocent and discharged after four weeks of detention.
While expressing relief over the case, Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians to obey the laws of host countries wherever they find themselves.
She recalled similar cases in which Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Ibrahim were released in Saudi Arabia a few years ago after being wrongfully accused of drug-related offences, stressing that the Nigerian Government will always stand firm to protect its citizens abroad.
Dabiri-Erewa also appreciated the Saudi authorities for their cooperation in reviewing the case and appealed to travellers to listen to the warnings by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to always cross-check their luggage tags before checking in their luggage.