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Tag: Zainab Aliyu

  • Thank you Aisha Buhari on illegal drug cartels

    one person in position going beyond treating symptoms

    How ironic it is that Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the one person that is in position that is not “in position”!

    However, the beauty of it is that this world has moved away from individualism in leadership: in today’s world, when the spouse of a leader speaks, the world listens.

    A few days ago, Aisha Buhari said something about the Saudi Arabia drug trafficking case that never was. And the lady spoke sense.

    As a background to her comments: immediately after the news on our general elections left center-stage, the next big thing to make headlines was the story of endless killings, and criminality.

    Whilst crimes committed outside our shores continue to be major news; hot on their heels are tales of ‘bandits’ killing scores of innocent Nigerians daily, weekly in our country.

    For news reports of matters outside the country, we have headlines indicating that Nigerians are killing foreigners during their trips abroad (armed robbers who killed forex traders in the UAE).

    Or they are out there killing one another (Nigerians killing Nigerians in South Africa). We also having Nigerians getting capital punishment for serious crimes committed in countries where such is the punishment. Of particular interest (to Aisha Buhari) the widely reported case of a lady pilgrim Zainab Aliyu, who was caught for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia, and remanded in prison.

    Everyone, Muslim or not knows what the penalty in Saudi is for such a serious crime, and Zainab’s case was going to be no exception. And then came the revelation that there exists a drug cartel currently in operation at our Nigerian international airports. They were discovered to be operating by targeting luggage of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. For baggage left unattended to, the drug peddlers reportedly plant hard drugs on pilgrim victims, and hope such luggage passes through customs checks.

    How they would then retrieve their booty ,parceled in tagged luggage from their unsuspecting couriers, once in Saudi is the aspect of it that beats me.

    Be that as it may, providence was with Miss Aliyu and she was found to have been a victim. Soon enough the screaming headlines were that she was not only free, but was back here in Nigeria.

    On Monday, accompanied by her parents, Miss Aliyu was at Aso Rock Villa, at the banquet table, to break the days Ramadan fast with the Wife of the President.

    Before getting to the points raised by Aisha Buhari, I want to first look at the contrast in our legal system, in terms of what Dostoevsky refers to as “Crime and Punishment”.

    I was saddened to hear from Miss Aliyu in a report that the alleged drug cartel members were freed on bail, here.

    She said ,“ I feel very bad that the cartel, who masterminded this act to me was granted bail. They have to be punished for what they did to me to serve as deterrent to others.”

    More shocking was the revelation of the father of the victim Mr. Habibu Aliyu that not only was one of the alleged perpetrators granted bail, but he was also granted leave to go himself on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia!

    (Probably to personally alert his comrades at the other end that their deals had gone sour). For a crime that in the same Saudi Arabia would attract capital punishment, here, it is treated like no big deal!

    Is it any wonder then, the high numbers of actual offenders recorded each year? I wonder also, that with all these law reforms and law reform commissions of ours, such crimes remain bailable. Even, with easy conditions!

    Well, in the absence of on officially designated First Lady, the Wife of the President is still speaking out; she is asking all intending air travelers to be mindful and careful, to avoid falling victim. I hear you, Madam (even though I’m never going on a government pilgrimage!).

    More importantly, Aisha Buhari is seeking a departure from our regular style of administration which we may call treat – the – symptom.

    What is needed, is to diagnose the ailment and then treat and cure that, and not leave things at clearing-the-symptoms-stage, each time.

    Bringing Miss Aliyu back is good –it is only treating the symptom; or the manifestation of a malaise. Removing the manifestation does not mean the malaise is no more there.

    Arresting and prosecuting the members of the drug cartel(s) like Mrs. Buhari wants is what will serve as deterrent.

    Or I ask-how many more victims will Nigeria now have to go after and bring back, to the great amusement of the drug cartels?

     

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  • Aisha Buhari breaks fast with Zainab Aliyu, family

    Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari on Monday broke her fast with freed victim of the Saudi Arabia drugs trafficking, Zainab Aliyu and her family.

    She also called on the authorities to leave no stone unturned towards bringing the perpetrators to book.

    The Nigerian student, who was held in Saudi Arabia on drug smuggling charges, had recently been reunited with her family.

    Aliyu spent four months in prison following the discovery of illegal drugs in a bag tagged in her name on her arrival in Saudi Arabia.

    Zainab, who was led by Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, was companied by her parents Habib and Maryam Aliyu and sister, Hajara.

    She was accused of entering Saudi Arabia with an illegal dosage of Tramadol, but it has since been discovered she was a victim of a cartel at the airport in Kano that specialises in keeping hard drugs in travellers’ bags.

    Read Also: Aisha Buhari appeals to Muslims to assist needy

    A Federal High Court, sitting in Kano State, had in April granted bail to the six suspects arraigned before it for exporting tramadol to Saudi Arabia in luggage using the name tag of Zainab Aliyu, a 22-year-old student of Maitama Sule University, Kano.

    A seven-man syndicate, who were staff members of the MAKIA were arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, following a petition filed by Zainab’s father, Habibu, a director at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN.

    The accused namely: Idris Umar Shehu (alias Umar Sanda), Sanni Suleiman, Nuhu Adamu, Rhoda Adetunji, Udosen Itoro Henry and Sanni Hamisu were arraigned on three-count charges.

    One of the accused, Umar Shehu (alias Umar Sanda), is in Saudi Arabia observing Lesser hajj.

  • Tears of joy as Zainab, Abubakar return from Saudi Arabia

    It  was all tears — of joy — at the Kano Airport yesterday.

    Two Nigerians, Miss Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar, who were implicated for alleged drug trafficking but freed by Saudi Arabian authorities, returned home.

    The duo arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport aboard the same flight at 10 am, two weeks after regaining freedom after diplomatic intervention by the Federal Government.

    Miss Aliyu, a final-year student of the Maitama Sule University, Kano, was overwhelmed with joy as she was received by her father at the airport.

    “I thank God; I thank God,” was all she could say. Her father was also speechless. “I thank God,” he told reporters.

    In the company of excited family members and friends, Zainab boarded a waiting vehicle and headed for her Kundila residence in  Tarauni Local Government Area of the state.

    They were received by neighbours, who anxiously awaited them.

    REad also: Zainab’s case as eye opener

    Miss Aliyu and Abubakar were arrested and detained for four months by the Saudi Arabian Anti-drug Trafficking Agency, over alleged drug trafficking, but released after Nigerian and Saudi authorities established their innocence.

    Miss Aliyu was arrested on December 26, 2018, a day after her arrival in Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj.

    A Senior Programme Officer at the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Malam Isah Garba, has called on operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to beef up security at the nation’s airports for real drug pushers to be apprehended and brought to book.

    Addressing newsmen in Kano yesterday, Garba said the   issue of Miss Aliyu, who was detained in connection with a luggage containing a banned substance drugs had left much to be desired in terms of apprehending the real owners of the luggage for prosecution.

    According to him, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) must intensify their search and surveillance on passengers’ luggage as well as the surrounding environment during boarding to ensure that no luggage escaped the screening process.

    He said the airliners on their part, should ensure adequate protection for passengers luggage under their custody.

     

  • Citizen Zainab Aliyu

    Ecstasy that trailed the release of Nigerian student, Zainab Aliyu, arrested for drug related offence in Saudi Arabia, is perhaps, a mark of satisfaction with the responsiveness of the government to the plight of its citizen. This conclusion is given fillip by the additional disclosure that one Ibrahim Abubakar, arrested for similar drug-related offence was also given the nod to be released.

    It seems the first time in recent memory the government successfully got involved in high wire diplomacy that culminated in the freeing of two of its citizens facing capital punishment in foreign lands. The heightened euphoria over this seeming feat is to be understood irrespective of the attempt to trivialize it by some officials of the government scrambling to appropriate responsibility and credit for the release.

    The wrangling between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora over which of them should take responsibility for the freeing of Zainab, depicts all that is wrong with the way governmental affairs are conducted in this country . What makes sense is that the government acted swiftly to save two of its citizens that stood to be executed for offences they are innocent of. That is something to cheer especially given the tepid manner governments on these shores hitherto attended to issues of this nature.

    The successful outcome of diplomatic negotiations that saw to the freeing of the suspects is what should be of interest and not which agency of the government to take credit. But even as we concede credit to the government for the intervention, there are other equally potent issues thrown up by the circumstance of the two cases. We shall return to these shortly.

    What are the issues?  Zainab, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano had travelled for the Lesser-Hajj in December 2018 in company of her mother and sister but was arrested in Saudi Arabia on arrival for drug-related offence. Story had it that a bag bearing her name tag was discovered to contain a banned drug even when she knew nothing about the illicit substance in it. The case of Ibrahim is still somewhat cloudy. When he travelled, how long he has been in detention and the circumstances of his arrest are not very clear. But we are told they bear similarities with that of Zainab.

    Rattled by the strange development, the father of Zainab was said to have petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protesting that his daughter knew nothing about the illicit drug. Based on the protest, investigations were conducted at the point of departure- Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano where it was discovered that a cartel that specialized in planting illegal drugs in the bags of unsuspecting travelers was behind it all.

    According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Sulaiman, Investigations by the Nigerian authorities revealed that a “drug cartel in Nigeria packaged drugs in her baggage, which led to her arrest The culprits have since been arrested and will be facing the raw teeth of the law”.

    It was based on the circumstantial evidence exonerating Zainab that the matter was brought to the attention of President Buhari who promptly directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to intervene in the case and similar ones. And in less than 48 hours of the president’s directive, Zainab and Ibrahim regained their freedom. The development is heart-warming even as it highlights the deft diplomatic efforts that had been on by the relevant ministry and agencies to secure the release of the innocent girl.

    From all indications, all the relevant paper works and consultations had been at advanced stage before the intervention of the president. That accounts for why just a few hours after the president’s directive to Malami to intervene, the effort yielded very quick results. This point is being stretched to underscore the needless efforts some officials have been making to appropriate credit for the release of the suspects. Curiously those striving to take credit for Zainab’s release have not been forthcoming on what and what they also did that saw to the freedom of Ibrahim. We are yet to be told whether drugs were also smuggled into his luggage and under what circumstance.

    All the same, it is heart-refreshing that the two have regained their freedom and saved from the hangman’s noose.  But for the intervention of the government, the story would have been quite different given that such infractions attract death penalty in that country. More seriously, their release has rekindled hope that the government is taking more than a passing interest in cases of its citizens incarcerated in foreign lands for one alleged offence or the other.

    A couple of weeks ago, about 25 Nigerians were listed to be facing drug related offences in the Saudi Arabia even as many others are serving jails terms in their prisons. Before that publication, a Nigerian lady was executed in that country in circumstances that nearly trigged off diplomatic row between the two countries. The circumstance of that killing prompted authorities of that country explaining that due process was followed before conviction and eventual execution. However, records have it that incident brought to eight the number of Nigerians executed in Saudi Arabia in the last three years.

    Both Zainab and Ibrahim may have suffered the same fate but for the intervention of the Nigerian government. If the government had not wadded in, the Saudi authorities would not have been availed of the entire circumstances of the cases. Thus, they would have been at liberty to apply the laws of their country as they relate to drug trafficking. And if that happened, it would have been wrong to blame them for having the laws of their country run their full course irrespective of our views on capital punishment.

    Even as we applaud the government for the quick intervention that saw to the release of the two suspects, it would appear the main focus was on Zainab probably because of the pressure mounted by her family. This writer has no idea of the family background of Zainab. But since we have been told she travelled with her mother and sister for the Lesser-Hajj, the very least we can make of it is that she is from a well placed family.

    A Nigerian family that could afford to sponsor three of their members to that religious obligation should be placed above average within the income ladder. That could perhaps, account for why the voice of Zainab’s father was heard. That could also be the reason the president’s attention was drawn to it and he acted very promptly.

    Had the reverse been the case, the little girl may have gone the way of those who have nobody to speak on their behalf. That is the uncanny irony. And there is everything to suspect that many innocent people may have been killed in that country and others for drug related offences they knew nothing about. It is hoped the government will henceforth begin to take more interest in such cases irrespective of whom the suspects are and where they come from.

    Many of us are hearing for the first time that there is a drug syndicate at airports that specializes in incriminating innocent travelers by inserting banned substances into their travelling bags. Why that piece of information is being brought to the public domain because of the instant case, remains largely curious. All the same, it is good a thing that they are coming up now. Who knows how many people have gone to jail or killed because of the devious activities of these criminals at the airports?

    But we need to go beyond that disclosure to explore the motive for the action of the cartel. There are two possibilities: they do so just to incriminate and punish innocent travelers. In this case, the cartel is portrayed as a bunch of sadists and evil men who derive pleasure by putting innocent people in harm’s way. That theory looks unbelievable. The other is that they export such substances for monetary gains. This appears more plausible. Then, it raises the issue of accomplices. There must be somebody there at the arrival point to collect the banned substance.

    So if members of the cartel have been arrested, their interrogators should go the whole hog and have them reveal their collaborators in Saudi Arabia. That is the way to prove very conclusively that the cartel exists and their motive is pecuniary gain. Such disclosures and subsequent arrests will give credibility to the existence of such cartels at our airports. They will make for better understanding of government’s position in instant case.

  • Living proof

    For Zainab Aliyu, the Nigerian student who has just escaped the hangman’s noose in Saudi Arabia, for allegedly travelling into the country with a banned substance, Tramadol, the saying that there is only a step between life and death, strictly adheres. Aliyu, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, travelled for Lesser Hajj in December 2018. Her mother Maryam, and sister Hajara, were on the same flight with her, but it was in her own luggage that the banned substance was allegedly found. She was consequently detained by the Saudi Arabian authorities. Although she had not been arraigned before help came her way, her ordeal in a Saudi prison for about four months was enough to psychologically knock her out.

    Aliyu’s story raised many fundamental questions. First of which is, where is our humanity? Many of the true life stories we read in the newspapers today, or watch on television would have passed for ‘Oddities’ or ‘This odd world’ a few years ago. This past week, the papers were awash with all manner of curious headlines: ‘Why I joined mum to beat dad to death’; ‘Son sells mum, 60, for N7million’; ‘Lady sells six-hour baby for N850,000, buys mobile phone’; ‘Man, 30, arrested for attempting to sell own children in Calabar’. These were only some of the attention-grabbing headlines in the papers, apart from the mind-boggling stories of adults and very old men having sexual intercourse with minors, in some cases babies or toddlers, a crime that is fast becoming the order of the day in the country!

    How come we have so cheaply lost our soul and morality as a nation? We are daily regaled with stories of ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ boys using all manner of ‘juju’ to get rich quick. Until a few months ago, ‘Badoo boys’ who specialised in hitting the heads of their victims with stone before draining the blood from the injury for whatever satanic purpose they intended to use it, reigned in Ikorodu and parts of Lagos. All kinds of ritualists are on the prowl. We are not even talking of armed robbery or its twin-sister, kidnapping, which has now become a thriving industry. Female pants are no longer safe on the lines. Things that we took for granted in those days, like helping persons looking for certain addresses trace their way have now become taboo. These days, you can only do that at your own risk. Even people who claim not to believe in the efficacy of such ‘juju’ would be the first to tell such visitors they have never heard of the addresses they are looking for before; no matter how close the places are to them! So, where exactly are we going?

    Imagine the case of Clinton Kanu, 56, who regained his freedom on April 5, courtesy of the Supreme Court which found him innocent of the crime of armed robbery that he was framed in. It took Kanu 27 years to be freed for a crime he never committed but nonetheless could have been condemned for. The miscarriage of justice would have been irreversible if Kanu had been hanged. Without doubt, this is another case of man’s inhumanity to man. Those who cooked up the robbery story, according to Kanu, did so because of a land matter in which they thought he was going to support one party against the other.

    Now, criminals have become so ingenious to devise a new trick of putting banned substances in the luggage of innocent international travellers, in their own bid to get rich quick, without sparing a thought for the innocent victim who, if caught at the country where the substance was meant for, might bag the capital punishment. This was what Aliyu was set up for. It was only God that made her case different by revealing the identities of the cartel that specialised in the ungodly practice.

    Zainab Aliyu is living proof that it is not over until it is over. She is living proof of one who had walked in the valley of the shadow of death; living proof of one who had been to the gates of heaven only to be sent back by the gateman because it was not yet her time. Her adrenalin must have shot up when she was accused of being the owner of the luggage in which Tramadol was found; knowing full well the wages of such criminal infraction in Saudi Arabia. Even at the terrestrial level, Zainab is living proof of the possibilities when man or institution works efficiently and conscientiously. We can only imagine what could have been her fate if Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora had not brought her matter up for President Muhammadu Buhari’s attention. Many people had undeservedly got the reward of death that Aliyu nearly reaped due to incompetence or sloppiness of public officials, like the one that almost attended Aliyu’s case and fate.

    Indeed, her type of experience is another strong point for those seeking the abolition of the death sentence; that once the person has been killed; it is impossible to bring him or her back to life even when fresh, incontrovertible evidence proves that he or she is innocent of the crime for which he or she was executed. Amnesty International, which has been campaigning against the death sentence because of its finality or irreversibility said this much in her case: “Saudi Arabian authorities must free Zainab Habibu Aliyu. Her ordeal shows everything wrong with death penalty. Let us raise our voices, until Zainab is free. No one knows who can be the next victim of such injustice. #FreeZainab #Nigeria #ZainabIsInnocent.” The Kanu’s case mentioned above is another example.

    It is gratifying that some of the members of the cartel that planted the Tramadol in Aliyu’s luggage have been arrested. They should be well grilled because anyone can fall victim to their nefarious activities. The country must get to the root of this.

    But we as Nigerians must be careful the way we run to conclusions when some serious countries find our compatriots on the wrong side of their law. We have formed this terrible habit of crying foul when these countries get serious in implementing their laws to the letter, especially against foreigners (particularly Nigerians) who want to mess up the host country the same way they messed up their own country; the reason they are now seeking better life in those saner places. Even the scripture says the ‘wages of sin is death’. So, if people know the wages of whatever crime they commit in another country, why should they break the law? Do they expect that every other country would be like Nigeria where shameless senior lawyers would connive with corrupt judges to amend the law in their elite rogue-clients’ favour?

    Instead of asking our own governments to make our country conducive, we start asking other people to lower their standards to accommodate us.Would this issue have arisen if there were CCTV at the relevant places at our airports or if there had been other measures to forestall such incidents?  Should we now blame Saudi Arabia for our own government’s failure? So, another lesson is that our governments have to do the rightful at all times, especially when we have the resources to do so. That Aliyu was the person involved in this case was just happenstance; it could have been anybody, anybody – a governor or even the president’s son or daughter. Can we imagine the hot cake the story would be for the children of any of these VIPs to be in Aliyu’s shoes? Food for thought.

    But we should thank God for the favour that Aliyu received because, but for that, there is no question about it; she would be awaiting the hangman in the foreign land where she was arrested. Her relations would have suffered vicariously for the negligence of our government and its agencies.

    However, the Ministry of External Affairs should be interrogated for the lax matter it allegedly treated this issue. Appropriate lessons must be taught and learnt.

  • How we secured Zainab Aliyu, Ibrahim Abubakar’s release from Saudi Arabia—Minister

    The battle for the release of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar followed a tortuous but well planned and coordinated process, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said.

    In a blow by blow analysis of the ministry’s action towards the eventual release of the duo, the minister said in a statement signed by the ministry’s acting spokesperson, Friday Akpan, that on receipt of the information of the arrest of the duo on the same plane, through the the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, government stepped in and requested for full investigation to ascertain the innocence of the duo, who are not related.

    The statement reads: “It will be recalled that Miss Zainab Habibu Aliyu was arrested by Saudi security officials on Wednesday, 26th December 2018, in a Hotel in Medina.

    “This was following the discovery at the Airport of a bag containing illicit drugs purportedly bearing a tag with her name.

    “Another passenger, unrelated to Zainab and who was travelling on the same aircraft, was also arrested on the same day as Zainab. He is Ibrahim Abubakar.

    “On receipt of the information on the arrest of the two Nigerians, the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah intervened and requested for full investigation to ascertain the innocence of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

    “Investigations conducted by the Airport Authorities and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano discovered a drug cartel at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano that specialises in planting illicit drugs on innocent travellers without their knowledge.

    “It was also discovered that the bag tagged in Zainab’s name was planted by the cartel without her knowledge.

    “Following the arrest of members of the cartel, the Federal Government is currently prosecuting the suspects in the Federal High Court, Kano.

    “The outcome of the investigation and subsequent trial of the suspects confirmed the innocence of the two Nigerians.

    “The Consulate General of Nigeria in Jeddah, upon instruction from headquarters, therefore sent series of Diplomatic Notes to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, informing of the arrest of members of the syndicate in Kano and forwarding the report of the NDLEA investigation and court proceeding.

    “As a follow-up in Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, accompanied by the Director, Air Transport had meetings with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter and submitted documents relating to the Kano Airport investigation, NDLEA report and court process.

    “These documents were forwarded to the Consulate in Jeddah to further support the innocence of the two Nigerians and also resolve the issue of luggage tag numbers.

    “Following these efforts, officials in the Consulate secured appointment and met with the Director General of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Jeddah Branch and requested him to forward the NDLEA report to all concerned Saudi agencies with a view to releasing Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

    “All these processes followed were consistent with the usual diplomatic channel of engagement.

    “To maintain the diplomatic pressure, another note was sent by our Embassy in Riyadh conveying the same message to the Saudi authorities.

    “On Friday 26 April 2019, a Note was also sent to both the Saudi Embassy in Abuja and its Consulate in Kano, forwarding court documents relating to the trial of members of the Kano syndicate.

    “Thereafter, the Legal Adviser of the Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed that relevant agencies and departments in Saudi Arabia were going to meet to consider all the Notes Verbale and reports submitted by Nigeria in order to facilitate early resolution of the case of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

    “While all these efforts were ongoing, Mr. Habib Aliyu, the father of Zainab appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi authorities and the international community as well as well-meaning individuals to intervene in his daughter’s case and save the ‘innocent’ lady from possible execution.

    “It should be noted that the resolution of this case required the convergence of the diplomatic process and the judicial procedure, leveraging on President Muhammadu Buhari’s goodwill and international standing.

    “The judicial/legal process in Nigeria provided the critical documentation that aided the diplomatic efforts to establish the innocence of both Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

    “More so, it must be emphasised that the intervention by President Muhammadu Buhari directing that all efforts be exerted to secure the release of the two Nigerians facilitated the expedited final favourable resolution of the matter.

    “Fortunately, these silent diplomatic efforts in the past few weeks culminated in the release of Zainab Aliyu on Tuesday 30 April 2019 and Ibrahim Abubakar of Wednesday 1 May 2019”.

  • How Buhari, Dabiri saved Zainab

    Contrary to the popular impression that the Foreign Affairs ministry facilitated Zainab Aliyu’s and Ibrahim Abubakar’s release, it actually failed to move when told of the duo’s ordeal, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    The personal interventions of  President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, got freedom for Zainab and Abubakar, who were arrested for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia. The offence carries a death sentence.

    The Consul-General of Nigeria in Jeddah has taken custody of Zainab and supporting her to perform the lesser hajj before returning home.

    The student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, who embarked on the lesser hajj in Dec. 2018, was said to be with the family of the Consul-General yesterday.

    According to a source, the ministry was not “forthcoming” on Zainab and other Nigerians arrested for drugs until Hon. Dabiri-Erewa drew the attention of the President to it about three weeks ago.

    The source said: “Before Abike Dabiri-Erewa drew the attention of the President to the cases of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, the Nigerian Consul-General in Jeddah, Amb. M. S. Yunusa,   wrote two memos to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, on December 3, 2018 and February 6, 2019 but no action was taken.

    “No attempt was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to link up with the father of Zainab and the relatives of those with cases. The Nigerian Consulate was just left to its fate;

    “Upon meeting with the President on the problems at hand, Buhari immediately directed Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa to meet the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    “The President later got security reports from relevant agencies which made him to open talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His personal diplomatic ties with the Saudi Government facilitated justice for Zainab and Ibrahim.

    Read also: Fed Govt thrilled by Zainab Aliyu’s release

    “This background is necessary to underscore the importance of putting things in order in our Foreign Affairs Ministry to avert a repeat of this type of challenge.”

    In an April 18th, 2019 memo to the AGF by Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, signed by its Legal Adviser, Mr. A. Bello,  more insights were provided on Zainab’s travails.

    The memo said: “Based on the complaint of Zainab’s father on 26th December, 2018, the Commander of the  National Drug Law Enforcement  Agency (NDLEA) at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport commenced investigation into the case of unlawful exportation of Tramadol to Saudi Arabia by a syndicate of workers at the airport.

    “After a thorough investigation carried out by the NDLEA,  all the culprits were arrested and six of the seven suspects have been charged to the Federal High Court sitting in Kano with conspiracy, unlawful exportation and transportation of prohibited drugs.

    “The NDLEA, however, found that Zainab Habibu Aliyu is not the owner of the second baggage tagged in her name in which the prohibited drugs(Tramadol) were found.

    “The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation may wish  to note that the findings by the NDLEA as regard the innocence of Zainab Habibu Aliyu as well as the arrest and prosecution of the culprits before the Federal High Court, Kano has been communicated to Saudi Arabia Authorities through Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    “We wish also to draw the attention of the HAGF to Paragraph 6b of Annexure ‘C’ that one Ibrahim Abubakar is also being detained in Saudi Arabia on circumstances similar to that of Zainab Habibu Aliyu. Investigation into his case is currently ongoing.

    “In view of the foregoing, it is our prayer  that the HAGF uses his exalted office to prevent Zainab Habibu Aliyu from being prosecuted wrongly.”

    As at press time, Zainab was with the family of the Consul-General, who insisted that she must perform the lesser hajj before returning home.

    “The family and fellow students are eager to receive Zainab but we learnt the Consul-General took Zainab to his family and asked her to perform lesser Hajj before returning to Nigeria.

    “No one can say when she will leave Saudi Arabia.”

  • Fed Govt thrilled by Zainab Aliyu’s release

    Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama yesterday expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to Saudi Arabian authority for releasing Zainab Aliyu, who was held for alleged drug trafficking offence.

    Miss Aliyu, a student of the Maitama Bello University, Kano, and Ibrahim Abubakar, who were erroneously accused of importing banned substances to Saudi Arabia, were found to have been implicated by a syndicate at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), in Kano.

    Reacting to the release, Onyeama said his ministry had engaged the Saudi Arabian authorities in a quiet diplomacy to secure the release of the two Nigerians.

    He said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been conducting a very quiet diplomacy with the Saudi authorities for some time now. We provided them with documentation and this has obviously led to the release.

    “It also shows the benefit of quiet diplomacy, which has been conducted as opposed to conducting our foreign affairs on twitter and other social media. So, we are very happy that quiet diplomacy has proven its worth.

    “In this case, we know this is an innocent Nigerian who some criminals had planted drugs in her name.”

    Miss Aliyu is a Nigerian student who was detained in Saudi Arabia after hard drugs was found in a bag labelled in her name at the Saudi airport.

    The Federal Government said that Miss Zainab was a victim of a drug cartel at the MAKIA.

    The cartel is reported to specialise in placing hard drugs in bags owned by travellers while on their way to destination countries.

    Read also: How Buhari, Dabiri saved Zainab

    Some members of the cartel have been arrested.

    On the execution of another Nigerian, Mrs. Kudirat Afolabi in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug smuggling, Mr. Onyeama denied the allegations that his ministry failed to do something to avert the killing.

    He said: “It was unfortunate that there was another case, a couple of weeks ago, where a Nigerian lady was executed in Saudi Arabia for drug smuggling.

    “Some people were very unfair, giving the impression that the ministry was somehow responsible for the execution of this lady, because she was innocent. Of course, that was not true. It was unfortunate the false narrative that was created.

    “In that case, unlike this case, that lady was found with drugs. They want to make it look like the same case as the present case.”

  • FG expresses delight over Zainab Aliyu’s release

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama has expressed appreciation to the Saudi Authority for the release of Zainab Aliyu, who was held for alleged drug trafficking offence.

    Ms. Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar were erroneously accused of trafficking hard drugs to Saudi Arabia.

    Reacting to the release, Onyeama disclosed that the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had engaged the Saudi Arabian authorities in a very quiet diplomacy to secure the release of the two Nigerians.

    The minister, in a statement by his media aide, Sarah Sanda further said that the release of Zainab Aliyu by Saudi Authorities is a further sign of the immense goodwill Nigeria enjoys on the global stage under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari whose integrity is widely acknowledged.

    The minister, who received the news of the release while on official assignment in Guinea Bissau, noted all diplomatic channels at the highest levels were explored to achieve the desired results.

    “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been conducting a very quiet diplomacy with the Saudi Authorities for some time now, we provided them with documentation and this has obviously led to the release.

    “It also shows the benefit of quiet diplomacy which has been conducted as opposed to conducting our foreign affairs on twitter and other social media, so we are very happy that quiet diplomacy has proven its worth.

    “In this case we know this is an innocent Nigerian who some criminals had planted drugs in her name.”

    Ms. Aliyu is a Nigerian student who was detained in Saudi Arabia after hard drugs was found in a bag labeled in her name at the Saudi Airport.

    The federal government said she was a victim of drug cartel at the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State, North West Nigeria.

    Read Also: Photo: Zainab Aliyu after her release

    The cartel is reported to specialise in placing hard drugs in bags owned by travelers while on their way to destination countries. Some members of the cartel have been arrested.

    On the execution recently of another Nigerian, Kudirat Afolabi in Saudi Arabia for drug smuggling, Onyeama denied allegations that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs failed to do anything to avert that.

    “It was unfortunate that there was another case a couple of weeks ago where a Nigerian lady was executed in Saudi Arabia for drug smuggling.

    “Some people were very unfair, giving impression that  the Ministry was somehow responsible for the execution of this lady because she was innocent, off course that was not true, it was unfortunate the false narrative that was created.

    “In that case unlike this case, that lady was found with drugs, they want to make it look like the same case as the present case.”

  • Dabiri-Erewa lauds Buhari over release of Zainab Aliyu

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for facilitating the release of two Nigerians arrested in Saudi Arabia.

    Zainab Aliyu, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, who embarked on Lesser Hajj in Dec. 2018, was detained by the Saudi Arabia authorities for allegedly being in possession of banned substances.

    Ibrahim Abubakar, another Nigerian, was also detained by Saudi authority for alleged drug-related offence.

    However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Sulaiman on Tuesday in Abuja announced the release of the two Nigerian detainees by Saudi authority

    Dabiri-Erewa, who gave the commendation in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said Buhari’s timely intervention saved the two Nigerians from being punished for offence they did not commit.

    “We thank God and thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his immediate intervention.

    “When we brought the matter to him about two weeks ago, he immediately directed the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure Zainab and Ibrahim were released.

    “All I can say is, I am happy that this young promising girl did not get punished for an offense she did not commit,” she said.

    The presidential aid, however, expressed concern over the authority’s was handling of case of the suspects, who allegedly planted banned substances in Zainab’s bag at the airport.

    “My worry is that those who set her up are now on bail. NDLEA must ensure prosecution of those culpable.

    “Egypt Air and Ethiopian Air must ensure compulsory baggage identification of passengers.

    “All the cases we have had so far have involved only those two airlines. Security surveillance at our airports must also be strengthened,” she said

    The permanent secretary had said that the release was as a result of intense diplomatic engagements between the Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

    He said that the ministry made great effort to establish their innocence.

    Suleiman noted that the government had raised several note verbal with the Saudi Embassy in Abuja and their Consulate in Kano over the matter.

    He said that the news of her release was heartwarming to the government and Zainab’s family. (NAN)