In a significant development, three Nigerian nationals, Hadiza Abba, Fatima Umate Malah, and Fatima Kannai Gamboi, have been discharged and acquitted of drug trafficking charges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The women were arrested on March 5, 2024, at Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Azeez International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the women were detained by Saudi authorities on suspicion of being accomplices in a drug trafficking case involving two other Nigerian nationals. However, after 10 months in detention, the women were finally acquitted and released.
Their successful release was made possible through prolonged diplomatic and legal engagements between Nigerian authorities and their Saudi counterparts. The women were received by Ambassador Muazam Nayaya, the Consul-General of Nigeria in Jeddah, and are currently awaiting immigration processes to return to Nigeria and reunite with their families.
This development highlights the importance of diplomatic efforts in securing the release of Nigerian citizens detained abroad.
