Relief and gratitude filled Abuja on Thursday as Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), praised Nigerian agencies for securing the release of three citizens detained in Saudi Arabia over drug trafficking allegations.
The trio—Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mr. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq—spent four weeks in custody before being cleared of wrongdoing.
In a statement signed by Gabriel Odu, NiDCOM’s media adviser, Dabiri-Erewa applauded the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Security Adviser’s office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah for their swift and coordinated intervention.
She said the outcome was proof of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to protect Nigerians worldwide, ensuring no citizen suffers unjustly.
While warning Nigerians abroad to obey local laws, she recalled similar exonerations of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Ibrahim in past Saudi cases. She urged travellers to be extra cautious, especially when carrying luggage, to avoid falling victim to syndicates or wrongful arrests.
Dabiri-Erewa hailed the Saudi authorities for their cooperation and fairness, describing the release as a “huge relief” and another win for the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
