The father of the alleged drug courier, Zainab Aliyu, who is presently being detained in Saudi Arabia for drug-related offences, has appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi authorities and the international community as well as well-meaning individuals to intervene in her daughter’s case and help save the ‘innocent’ lady from being executed wrongly.
Habibu Aliyu, who is not happy that his daughter is cooling off in a Saudi Prison despite the recent discovery that she was framed by some drug cartel, explained that the allegations of Zainab entering the Asian country with Tramadol, was absolute falsehood as recent events and arrests have confirmed the girl’s innocence. Speaking with Saturday Telegraph yesterday, Aliyu begged President Muhammadu Buhari and all those involved in his administration consular matters to hasten diplomatic talks with the Kingdom in order to help stop the unfortunate fate that may her daughter. Worried that the girl might be killed inoffensively, Aliyu said: “From the look of things, despite all series of communication between Saudi Arabia and President Buhari’s Adviser on the Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Abike Dibiri Erewa, this Saudi government is hell-bent on killing my daughter innocently”. Aliyu’s plea is coming on the heels of a revelation that the Federal Government has discovered those behind the dastardly act and is already prosecuting them.
Checks by our correspondents have however showed that a committee had been set up in the Presidency with a view to negotiating with the Saudi authorities on the need to have the girl released and possibly swap with those behind the mysterious appearance of the poisonous substance in Zainab’s luggage.
The committee’s creation is hinged upon the investigation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which discovered that a cartel had planted the illicit drug in Zainab’s luggage. The suspects had since been arrested and arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
Zainab, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, had travelled from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in company with her mother, Mrs. Maryam Aliyu, and sister, Hajara Aliyu. She was later arrested over allegations that a luggage, bearing her name tag, contained the unlawful substance. Zainab who was accused of entering Saudi Arabia with an illegal dosage of Tramadol was later discovered to be a victim of a cartel that specialises in keeping hard drugs in travellers’ bags, some of whom are already in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
However, checks by our correspondents revealed that the committee, which is domiciled in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has set to work. An official in the Presidency who is in the know of the committee’s workings told Saturday Telegraph, though on the condition of anonymity, that the team is assiduously working with other groups in order to achieve the release of Zainab from the Saudi gulag. “Our office was petitioned and our legal team investigated the matter. But since it is purely a legal issue and diplomatic matter, we had to refer it to the Nigerians in the Diaspora Committee (NIDCOM), in the Office of SSA on Diaspora, which in turn reported the matter to the Ministry of Justice. “The ministry has a desk that deals with such things. The petitioners are saying that the girl is innocent and that we should save her from being executed.
They want justice and they are saying that the Federal Government should intervene quickly before the kingdom pronounces a final verdict to execute her. “We have done all the necessary things as expected. Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) ambassador in Nigeria where they discussed some of these issues.
We have also discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the way out. “The Nigerian ambassador and other envoys in KSA are also on the alert to monitor the development. All these happened in the last two weeks. So, you can rest assured that the Nigerian government is working round the clock to ensure justice for Zainab and any Nigerian that is wrongfully arrested anywhere in the world. We are already pleading with the KSA to do a thorough investigation so as to avoid miscarriage of justice”, he said.
A father’s plea
Zainab’s Father, who stood his ground that his daughter is innocent, has embarked on series of desperate moves to ensure that his daughter is not killed on baseless and unfounded accusations. He told Saturday Telegraph exclusively that he had met personally with President Buhari over the matter while commending both the NDLEA and Dibiri- Erewa for their concerted efforts in ensuring the release of his daughter. He however expressed concerns that the Saudi government is not responding positively while pleading with the Foreign Affairs Minister to quickly begin communications with his counterpart in Saudi Arabia in order to ensure the swift release of his daughter.
“I could not understand why the Saudi Arabia government is still holding my daughter after the thorough investigation of the cartel and after the arrest of those who confessed to have illegally used my daughter to export hard drugs into the holy land without her knowledge”. When asked whether he was aware that Saudi authorities is seeking a swap of the girl with those in the NDLEA custody, Aliyu lamented that the lists of the arrested cartel members had been sent to Saudi Arabia and that the NDLEA has communicated same to them, but the Saudi government is still having his daughter despite the facts presented to them. “I am afraid that anything can happen. Saudi Arabia doesn’t joke with these kind of issues. I want to believe Abike Dibiri’s statement that many Nigerians were innocently prosecuted by Saudi government on drugs issue without careful investigation. I hope and pray that my daughter would not be among those on the death row of that government.
“The Foreign Affairs Minister and his staff should please and please move in quickly because my daughter is still languishing in prison on a case she knows nothing of. She is a university student who is never involved in any criminal activities at home or in School.” He urged Nigerians to keep praying for his daughter so as to help stopped her life from being wasted while noting that Zainab has a brighter future ahead of her.
NDLEA, MOFA keep mum
Meanwhile, our sources further confirmed that the NDLEA has also received a petition from Zainab’s father, seeking a probe of his daughter’s ordeal. Consequently, the NDLEA Commander in charge of MAKIA had launched an investigation, which culminated in the discovery of the cartel and their activities. Though Saturday Telegraph gathered that the NDLEA was part of the committee to push for Zainab’s possible release, a senior official of the antidrug agency said he was not aware of the existence of such panel. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the agency’s main concern, was to ensure diligent prosecution of members of the cartel.
“I’m not aware. May be you can find out from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It’s not a matter of us trying to secure anybody’s freedom, but to handle the investigation as it is. You are aware that two persons have been arrested in connection with the crime, and have been charged, and being prosecuted accordingly”, the official said. Reminded that the chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (rtd), had forwarded report of the investigation of the case to the Consul-General in Saudi Arabia, he asked: “What other steps are you suggesting, other than following up the process in court? “Investigation report has been written:
I don’t even know how New Telegraph got the report and flashed it unedited”, he said. Similarly, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it was too early to say anything on the matter as it was still under investigation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while referring the Saturday Telegraph crew to the NDLEA for an update on the issue. “The ministry may not be able to comment now; it’s too early until we have a full report of the investigation. As it is now, I think the NDLEA is investigating the matter. So, if you have any other option of making enquiries on this matter, I think you should approach the NDLEA. They might give you some useful information.
For now, the ministry cannot make any comment until the outcome of their investigation,” he said. When reminded that the NDLEA had released a report of its findings and that the report absolved the lady of any crime, the official insisted that it was too early for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make comments in that direction. “It is too early for the Ministry to make comments in that direction. I cannot speak on what I do not know,” he said.
Saudi embassy yet to respond
Saturday Telegraph also contacted the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja to ascertain the fate of the detained lady but there was no response. In a letter of enquiry addressed to the Director of Media and Public Affairs and sent through e-mail as requested by the embassy, Saturday Telegraph sought to know what the authorities in Saudi Arabia were planning to do about the lady given the revelations made by the NDLEA. But as at the time of filing this report, the Saudi Arabian Embassy was yet to give a response to the
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