By Ibironke Ariyo
Abuja – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the release of a Nigerian, Ibrahim Abubakar, wrongly held by Saudi Arabian authorities for drug trafficking.
Following the report of NDLEA’s investigations, presented to Saudi authorities, Abubakar was released after three years incarceration.
Head of Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr Jonah Achema, disclosed this in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Abuja.
Achema added that Abubakar was arrested upon arrival in Saudi Arabia when his luggage was found to contain 1, 497 tablets of Tramadol.
He said that he had been standing trial since 2017 in Saudi Arabia where punishment for drug trafficking was execution.
“On Dec.15, 2017, a letter of complaint was written by Malam Gwani Siddiq from Zamfara urging NDLEA to intervene on the arrest of Abubakar by the Saudi Anti-narcotic officials.
“The Agency swung into investigation which revealed that Abubakar traveled to Saudi on March 10, 2017 through Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) and was arrested by the Saudi Anti-narcotic officials at Medina Airport for importing 1,497 tablets of Tramadol.
“The substance was allegedly concealed in a bag and tagged to his passport at MAKIA by his travel agent named Mahmood Sani and two other handlers at the Airport, one Mrs Celina Yaycock and Mr Anthony Johnson, ” he said.
Achema said a delegation from Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and Zamfara Government, the home state of Abubakar, arrived in Jeddah with documentary evidence provided by NDLEA for the trial slated for Feb.18, 2020.
“The documentary evidence included a correspondence from the NDLEA stating that it had arrested and charged three persons who planted the Tramadol tablets on the defendant and a certified copy of the two count charge sheet from the Federal High Court Kano.
“These documents were provided to the Saudi Court after which it ruled in favour of Ibrahim and discharged him, ” he said.
Achema, however, said that the real suspects had since been charged to Federal High Court, Kano.
(NAN)
