The federal government of Nigeria has extended their appreciation to the Saudi authorities after releasing Zainab Aliyu, Ibrahim Abubakar, who were both arrested mistakenly accused of drug trafficking.
Okay Nigeria reported that the two Nigerians were released after being found innocent for the allegation levelled against them.
Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Nigerian government expressed appreciation to the Saudi authorities.
He made this appreciation while speaking to Journalists in Guinea Bissau.
Onyeama stated that the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had engaged the Saudi Arabian authorities in a very quiet diplomacy to secure the release of the two Nigerians.
In his words:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been conducting a very quiet diplomacy with the Saudi Authorities for some time now, we provided them with documentation and this has obviously led to the release.”
“It also shows the benefit of quiet diplomacy which has been conducted as opposed to conducting our foreign affairs on Twitter and other social media, so we are very happy that quiet diplomacy has proven its worth.”
“In this case, we know this is an innocent Nigerian who some criminals had planted drugs in her name.”
Furthermore, Onyeama spoke on Kudirat Afolabi’s execution for drug smuggling, he denied allegation that the government didn’t do anything to stop it.
He said:
“It was unfortunate that there was another case a couple of weeks ago where a Nigerian lady was executed in Saudi Arabia for drug smuggling.”
“Some people were very unfair, giving impression that the Ministry was somehow responsible for the execution of this lady because she was innocent, of course, that was not true, it was unfortunate the false narrative that was created.
“In that case unlike this case, that lady was found with drugs, they want to make it look like the same case as the present case.”
