By Mercy Peter
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commended 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 for their coordinated efforts that secured the release of three Nigerians detained in Saudi Arabia over alleged drug trafficking.
The Nigerians — Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mr. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq — were discharged after four weeks in custody when Saudi authorities found no evidence against them.
Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement on Thursday, described the development as a triumph of collaboration and a clear demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which she said is committed to protecting Nigerians abroad from injustice.
“This is a huge relief and a reminder that Nigeria will always stand by its citizens. But we must also continue to urge Nigerians to obey the laws of their host countries,” she noted.
She recalled previous cases where Nigerians, including Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Ibrahim, were freed in Saudi Arabia after being wrongfully accused of drug-related offences, stressing that the government will always defend innocent citizens.
The NiDCOM boss further urged travellers to take NDLEA’s advice seriously by carefully checking their luggage and baggage tags before flying, to avoid falling prey to drug syndicates.
She also extended appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation in reviewing and resolving the matter.
