Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
A Saudi Court, on Thursday, acquitted Ibrahim Abubakar Ibrahim, a Nigerian of Zamfara State origin of drug trafficking.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, said on Thursday, the Saudi authorities discharged and acquitted Ibrahim of all charges against him.
The Ministry recalled that Ibrahim, who was sponsored by the Zamfara State Government to perform Urmah in 2017, was arrested on arrival in Jeddah, on the allegation of drug trafficking.
According to the Ministry, Ibrahim was subsequently tried and exonerated by three courts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but the Prosecutor General, unfortunately, directed the re-trial of the case.
“However, based on presidential directives, the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate-General in Jeddah, intervened in the matter to establish and uphold the innocence of Mr. Ibrahim.
“After diplomatic and legal consultations, he was discharged in February 2020 and finally acquitted of all charges today, 27th August, 2020. On this note, the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Jeddah has completed the processing of relevant travel documents to enable and facilitate his return to Nigeria.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to commend the Saudi Government for cooperating with Nigeria in the resolution of the matter; and also acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of our Consulate-General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the Zamfara State Government for providing the flight ticket of the Nigerian national back to the country,” the statement read.