Drug Trafficking: Buhari Orders AGF to Intervene in Zainab Aliyu’s Travail

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, April 29th, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami, to immediately intervene in the case of Nigerian student, Zainab Aliyu detained in Saudi Arabia in relation to hard drugs.

The Senior Special Assistant to Mr President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed the directive in a statement issued Monday in Abuja by her media aide, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

The statement confirmed that the directive was given two weeks ago immediately the matter was brought to the president’s attention about two weeks ago.

“My office has been working with the AGF as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that regard,” Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said.

She indicated that progress was being made in Ms Aliyu’s case, along with two others in similar circumstances, in Saudi Arabia.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said Ms Aliyu, “though detained, has not been put on trial by the Saudi Arabia government. And with the hard evidence that those who implicated her have been arrested, a strong legal case is being made to the Saudi authorities.

“Mr Habib Aliyu, the father of the alleged drug courier, Zainab Aliyu, had 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 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 up by some drug cartel, explained that the allegations of Zainab entering the country with Tramadol, was absolute falsehood as recent events and arrests have confirmed the girl’s innocence.

“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 specializes in keeping hard drugs in travelers’ bags, some of whom are already in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).” She clarified.