The Federal Government has expressed worries over the rate at which Nigerians are convicted and executed for drug trafficking by the Saudi Arabian government.
This followed the execution of a Nigerian woman over a drug-related offense in Saudi Arabia. She was among four persons executed by Saudi authorities on Monday, according to the Asian country’s Interior Ministry.
The others were two Pakistani men and a Yemeni man.
Saudi Arabia has executed 53 people this year alone over drug-related offenses.
Speaking on the developments, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, recalled that the woman became the eighth Nigerian to die under similar circumstances.
She added that 20 others were still on death row in Saudi Arabia, besides 12 more already sentenced to prison.
Dabiri-Erewa explained that in some instances, the unfortunate Nigerians were the victims of drug cartels working with some airline workers.
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According to her, drugs were sometimes stealthily put in the bags of unsuspecting pilgrims by the cartels only for them to be picked up on arrival in Saudi Arabia.
The SSA added, “We have had cases where truly they didn’t commit the offense. We have appealed to Saudi authorities to make the trials fair, open and ensure that justice is done. Even if you are going to die, you will know that you will die for an offense you committed.
“So, while we appeal to Nigerians going to Saudi Arabia, we know it is tough, obey the laws of the land. Even kolanut is treated as a drug. So, we will continue to appeal to Saudi authorities to treat some of the cases with some form of leniency.
“We have 20 of them (on death row) in Saudi; this is the eighth to be executed and we are hopeful that maybe we will be able to save the others. So, it is pathetic, it is tragic but we will continue to appeal to Nigerians to obey the laws of the land where you are.
“However, we expect the trial to be fair, open and ensure that justice truly is done because somebody is sentenced to death.”
The SSA also commented on the five Nigerians arrested in the United Arab Emirates for robbing a bureau de change, describing their conduct as disgraceful and an embarrassment to the country and their families.
The presidential aide gave their names as Chimuanya Emmanuel-Ozo, Benjamin Nwachukwu-Ajah, Kingsley Ikenna-Ngoka, Toochukwu Leonard-Arusi and Chile Micah-Ndunagu.
She said, “These five boys are a disgrace to this country and an embarrassment. So, if the UAE decides to be hard on Nigerians then we will complain that they are hard on us. But we will continue to say that one bad apple should not spoil the whole bunch.”