The Federal Government has condemned the execution of a Nigerian national, Kudirat Adesola Afolabi, widow and mother of two, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for drug related offences.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, said this in a statement issued on Thursday after a closed door meeting with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Adnan Bostaji in the Ministry on Thursday.
Suleiman said that while Nigeria respects the sovereignty of States, and abhors the violation of domestic laws of any country, the Government however does not condone such inhumane treatment being meted on a Nigerian national.
He added that the Nigerian authorities also frown at the Saudi authorities for not informing the Nigerian missions in Saudi Arabia of the arrest and prosecution of the deceased Nigerian, only to invite the mission to take the last will of the deceased prior to her execution on 1st April, 2019.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore wishes to assure Nigerians that it has engaged the Saudi authorities through their Ambassador in Nigeria, to ensure that the normal diplomatic practice of informing missions of the arrests of our nationals is adhered to, and that fair hearing is given to other Nigerians undergoing judicial processes in Saudi Arabia,” the statement said.
Meanwhile the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria has said that the execution was deservedly meted out on the Nigerian woman because she was found guilty of violating the Sharia law, which is against drug trafficking in the Kingdom even as he maintains that Nigeria and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial diplomatic relations.
Bostaji said this to reporters on Thursday after a closed door meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Suleiman. The Saudi envoy noted that the law against drugs applies to anyone in the Kingdom irrespective of their nationality, stressing that even Saudi citizens are not exempted from the law.
“Saudi Arabia is following Sharia law and anyone who violates the law by bringing drugs into Saudi Arabia will be punished by the law. This is because we want to save our society from drugs. So if we don’t impose our sharia law on these guilty people we may not save our society. The law is for all people in Saudi Arabia and not only for Saudi citizens,” he said.
He added that no one can claim ignorance of the law as anyone who wants to go to Saudi Arabia, before he gets visa will sign a paper, which gives much details about the law. He expressed dismay that despite the strict penalties of the law, people still carry drugs to Saudi Arabia.
Also speaking to reporters Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Isah Mohammed Dodo, lamented the notoriety of Nigerians and nationals of other countries in bringing drugs to Saudi,stressing that the menace has been on for long and has happened for many times.
He insists that the law against drugs is clear adding that anybody who commits this offense will be executed and nobody can stop the Saudi Government. He warned Nigerians and others to desist from taking drugs to Saudi Arabia adding that the Saudi authorities can only make Nigerian Government know of the Nigerians only when they have executed them for drugs related offenses.
“So all we can tell our people is to stop taking drugs to Saudi Arabia or to other countries where the punishment is execution. Nigerians have seen many people executed in Saudi Arabia and this is sufficient to serve as a deterrent to them but they have remained adamant and continued to commit this crime,” he said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
