Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted report that it ignored the call to intervene in Saudi Arabia’s execution of Mrs Kudirat Adesola Afolabi, a Nigerian woman caught for drug trafficking.
The Spokesperson of the ministry, Sarah Sanda, said in Abuja that the report was a complete falsehood.
“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to a tendentious, mischievous and libelous article over the matter
“It alleged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the minister were somehow responsible for the death of a Nigerian lady, Ms Afolabi, executed in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking, by not reacting immediately to letters addressed to the minister by the former Consul General, informing of the imminent execution of the lady in question.”
She said that the attention of the ministry was drawn to what she described as a tendentious, mischievous and libelous article alleging that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the minister were responsible for the death of Afolabi.
“This is preposterous and a complete falsehood. Clearly those behind the article who have deliberately distorted the facts have an agenda,” she said.
The spokesperson said that the report which quoted extensively from a letter written by the said Consul General did not state that the lady in question, Ms Afolabi was about to be executed.
She said that the letter rather states, “peddling of drugs into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia…..is punishable with death penalty.
”Unfortunately, between 2016-2017 the underlisted Nigerians were arrested……for smuggling narcotic drugs concealed in their rectums.
“They have since been sentenced to death and the sentences had already been carried out on some of them,” he said.
She said the report then listed 24 Nigerians on death row or executed, including Ms Afolabi.
According to her, the truth of the matter is that a letter from former Consul General was received on February 19 raising an alarm over the criminal acts at certain Nigerian airports.
“The letter said officials at those airports allegedly smuggled drugs to Saudi Arabia by checking in bags using the details of unsuspecting passengers.
“Immediate action was taken by the Minister by reaching out to the relevant Nigerian authorities,” she said.
According to her, the issue regarding Nigerians on death row in Saudi Arabia has been a challenge for many years.
“Over the last three years, the Minister and our Embassy in Saudi Arabia have relentlessly engaged the Saudi Government orally and in writing on the need to commute the death sentences of Nigerians on death row.
“Whipping up primordial sentiments by casting irresponsible aspersions does an injustice to the memory of the deceased and to her family and friends,” she said.
Human rights groups decry the execution
The execution had drawn criticism from international human rights groups and the Nigerian government.
Kudirat Adesola Afolabi, a mother of two and a widow, was found guilty of smuggling drugs into Saudi Arabia and executed on April 1, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said.Twenty other Nigerians are facing death sentences for various offenses in Saudi Arabia, the ministry said.
Abike Dabiri, senior special assistant to the President on foreign affairs and diaspora, had told CNN that Nigeria’s ministry had been engaging with Saudi authorities for leniency in these cases but said they are shrouded in secrecy.
“These trials are done silently, and we are only told of the outcome after the execution,” Dabiri said.
The Saudi Embassy in Nigeria had said after the execution that Kudirat received legal services throughout her trial and before the death sentence was carried out.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly communicates with the Nigerian Embassy in Riyadh and the country’s Consulate General in Jeddah about their nationals facing trials in the kingdom, the embassy said.
Foreign nationals traveling to Saudi Arabia are warned that drug trafficking offenses are punishable by death, the Saudi Embassy in Nigeria said in a statement.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not neglect the enforcement of penalties in matters of drug trafficking and is determined to apply the law on any person against whom evidence is established in order to combat drug trafficking and protect its citizens from this dangerous menace,” the statement said.
But Amnesty International’s Nigeria office called the woman’s execution “an act of violence” and urged the Saudi government to end the death penalty.
It said: “We condemn the execution of the Nigerian woman by the Saudi Arabia government. Since 2014, 8 Nigerians have been executed, 7 men, 1 woman, highest being 2018, with the execution of 5 Nigerians. The Saudi Arabian government must put an end to this act of violence.” #
Also, Avocats Sans Frontières France urged the kingdom to halt further executions of foreign nationals.
The human rights group said drug-related offences do not fall under the “most serious offenses” internationally and should not be punished by death.
The group also called on the Nigerian government to review its laws prescribing the death sentence for some offences.
Individuals convicted of murder, treason and terrorism may face death sentences in Nigeria.
