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News
have it that are about 11 other persons serving various jail terms for drug
trafficking in the kingdom while others are facing trial and following news, a
Nigerian woman, Kudirat Adeshola Afolabi, was beheaded in the kingdom for drug
trafficking.
It
was revealed that the late response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a
memo from the Nigerian Consul-General, Ambassador M.S. Yunusa, is believed to
have contributed to Afolabi’s execution and according to reports, the
Consul-General wrote twice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey
Onyeama, on December 3, 2018 and February 6, 2019, raising the alarm over the
plight of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia and the drug syndicate operating from the
Kano International airport.
The
envoy alleged that the syndicate in cahoots with greedy airline officials at
MAKIA were checking in extra bags containing prohibited drugs.
The
memo states: “Furthermore, it is with humility that I bring to the
Honourable Minister‘s knowledge that, sadly, there are a number of Nigerians
arrested for alleged drug related offence who are currently in detention at
Dhahban Prison (Male Section) and Madina Prison (Male & Female Sections).
Mission was unable to gain Consular access to them as the host authorities have
flatly refused to grant permission for such despite several requests to that
effect.
“Following
the outcome of investigations carried out by both the NDLEA and the Nigeria
Police (Kano State Command) the Honourable Minister may wish to note that: “There
exists a criminal syndicate collaborating with greedy officials of some
airlines at MAKIA, notably Ethiopian and Egyptian Airlines, who connive to
check in drug-laden bags, using passenger’s particulars without their consent
or knowledge; “Nigerian victims of the activities of these criminal gangs were
arrested and detained in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking
offences they did not commit; “The outcome of investigations by the Nigeria
Police and NDLEA absolved these victims of complicity in the crime of peddling
drugs into the Kingdom. The investigations further established beyond
reasonable doubts that the victims were unaware of the drug-laden baggage that
were checked in bearing their particulars by unknown persons at MAKIA, Kano; “All
the suspected culprits had been apprehended and a case of criminal conspiracy,
breach of trust and drug trafficking has been established against them, hence,
they were arraigned at the Federal High Court, Kano; “There are 24 Nigerians
who were condemned to death between 2016 2018 for drug trafficking in
contravention of the Kingdom’s Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Control Law
issued under Decree No. M/39 dated 8/7/1428AH; “There are 12 Nigerian women
currently serving various jail terms at Dhahban prison for drug smuggling.
“Meanwhile,
the following drug traffickers are serving various jail terms:
a)
Halimat
Oyebanjo Oyaya – 10 years (b) Sherifat Shawni – 4 years (c) Limata Ahmad – 10
years (d) Halimat Isah – 5 years (e) Olubumi Adejarani Olaniyan – 10 years (f)
Omobolanle Funke – 15 years (g) Nuratu Bolanle Yusuf – 15 years (h) Maryam
Ibrahim Tanko – 7 years (i) Rahma Abdulkarim 20 years (j) Nuratu Yusuf Abike –
20 years (k) Bolaji Kehinde – 10 years (I) Yasirat Abolanle Salau – awaiting trail.
“There
are a number of Nigerians accused of drug trafficking incarcerated at various
Saudi Prisons but the Mission was unable to undertake consular visits due to
refusal by the Saudi authorities to grant permission for such visits despite
repeated requests and “Drug smuggling into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by
Nigerians has reached an alarming proportion and all hands must be on deck to
check this menace.”
The
Consul-General gave insight as to how a syndicate had infiltrated the security
in Kano to perpetrate drug trafficking.
His
memo drew the minister’s attention to “a frightening development that portends
grave danger to passenger travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.” “It has emerged that
some criminally minded individuals working in cohort with greedy airline
officials at MAKIA, have perfected the art of checking in extra bags containing
prohibited drugs, particularly Tramadol, using the particulars of innocent
passengers and baggage tags presumably assigned to such passengers travelling
to the Kingdom. Regrettably, this contemptible act exposes innocent Nigerians
to high risk of losing their lives,” the memo said.
“As
you are aware Your Excellency, drug trafficking attracts capital punishment in
Saudi Arabia. It is, therefore, imperative that urgent steps are taken to
checkmate the activities of these miscreants.
“Certainly,
failure to do so would be tantamount to allowing innocent Nigerians to face
death sentences for crimes they did not commit.
“At
this juncture, it would be appropriate to mention some of these cases that were
handled by the Consulate-General. For Instance, Messrs. Bashir Usman Sani,
Amdani Salisu Maikasuwa and Ibrahim Abubakar Ibrahim, were arrested and later
imprisoned in 2017 while Zainab Habibu Allyn and Ibrahim Abubakar were arrested
on 25th December, 2018 and have remained in prison custody following date, for
alleged drug trafficking.
“However,
in the case of Ms. Zainab Habibu Aliyu and pursuant to a complaint lodged by
her father, Alhaji Bashir Usman Sani (in Nigeria), the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police (Kano State Command) have
thoroughly investigated the case and six suspects were arrested and charged to
Federal High Court, Kano.
“The
accused persons are, Messrs Idris Umar Shehu (Alias Umar Sande), Sani Suleiman,
Nuhu Adamu, Udosen Itoro Henry, Sani Hamisu and Ms Rhoda Adetunji. They were
charged with conspiring to export Tramadol to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
for illegally checking in additional baggage containing the banned substance
and linking same to Ms. Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar, passengers on board
Ethopian Airline flight ET 941/ET 402 to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 24th December,
2018.
“In
the same token, seven other suspects, namely, Yusuf Isa Ahmad, Shaba Umaru,
Diwawu Mustapha, Shafiu Musa, Murtala Muhammad, Musa Haruna and Hajiya Gawure
Abba Aji were also arrested and charged to court with criminal conspiracy,
breach of trust, and drug trafficking.
They
were also accused of tagging additional drug-laden baggages and falsely linking
same to Messrs Bashir Usman Sani and Amdani Salisu Maikasuwa. Again, Messrs
Rabiu Mahmud Sani and Anthony/Johnson as well as Mrs. Celestine Emanuel Yayok
were also charged with fraudulency tagging and exporting a bag containing
psychotropic drugs suspected to be Tramadol using the passport details of
Ibrahim Ibrahim Abubakar Ibrahim.
“Your
Excellency, permit me to state that investigation carried out by both the NDLEA
and the Nigeria Police have established beyond reasonable doubts the existence
of some criminal syndicates masquerading as touts rendering assistance to
unsuspecting passengers at MAKIA, Kano.
“These
miscreants are now endangering innocent lives and this state of affairs should
not be allowed to remain unchecked.
“Furthermore,
it is noteworthy to state that consequent upon the Mission’s relentless efforts
through several notes to host Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Makkah Region
Branch) and ceaseless interactive sessions with the officials of Saudi
Department for combating Drugs, Food and Drug Administration as well as the
offices of the Public Prosecutor, Makkah and Madinah Regions, Messers Bashir
Usman Sani, Amadani Salisu Maikasuwa and Ibrahim Ibrahim Abubakar Ibrahim have
all been released on 25th October, 2018 and 25/1/2019 respectively.
“Again,
it is pertinent to reiterate that peddling of drugs to the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia contravenes the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Control Law, issuer
under Royal Decree No. M/39 dated 8/7/1428AH and is punishable with death
penalty. Unfortunately, between 2016- 2017 the under noted Nigerians were
arrested at King Abdul Aziz International Airport. Jeddah and Prince Muhammad
bin Abdul-Aziz international Airport, Madinah for smuggling narcotic drugs
concealed in their rectums.
The
Consul-General then gave five recommendations to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, including the need to seek clemency for innocent Nigerians held for
drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia.
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