The Presidency on Tuesday reacted to the killing of a Nigerian woman by the authorities of Saudi Arabia over drug matters, describing it as unfortunate.
In a similar vein, the Presidency reacted to the arrest of five Nigerians in Dubai for alleged robbery, saying the development was despicable.
The position of the Presidency was given by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
In a statement issued by Dabiri-Erewa’s Special Adviser, Media, Mr. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, she said the execution of the woman over drug matters in Saudi Arabia was painful despite repeated warnings to Nigerians in that country to be law abiding.
Dabiri-Erewa said that it was regrettable that in spite of the wise counsel for Nigerians travelling to Saudi Arabia by relevant government agencies to obey the country’s laws, some Nigerians would still go and run foul of the law.
“This particular execution is very worrisome especially when over eight Nigerians have been killed in the past few years over the same issue in Saudi Arabia,” she said.
According to her, over 20 Nigerians are currently on death row in Saudi Arabia and many are in prisons serving various jail terms.
“Our major concern, however, is whether the trial was fair to the convicts as the trial was not open and some of them were said to be implicated without a defence counsel,” she stated.
Dabiri–Erewa said that Nigerian government had made some pleas on behalf of some Nigerians with the Saudi Arabia government to temper justice with mercy which had not yielded positive results.
“We are not saying our citizens in Saudi Arabia should be committing crimes, but we want Saudi Arabia to temper justice with mercy especially on offences that carry capital punishment.
“We are appealing again to our citizens to avoid crimes and criminality in Saudi Arabia and other countries and be good ambassadors to Nigeria anywhere they go,’’ she added.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said four people were executed on Monday for drug trafficking, including one woman, bringing to 53 the number of people put to death this year.
Two Pakistani men, a Yemeni man and a Nigerian woman were executed in the holy city of Makkah, the ministry said in a statement.
In 2018, Saudi Arabia carried out the death sentences of 120 people as carrying illicit drugs and some other related offences attract capital punishment in the country.
Speaking on the Nigerians arrested for alleged robbery of Dh 2.3 million Dinars in Sharjah Area of Dubai, UAE, she said the action of the five Nigerians was condemnable.
She described the action of the Nigerians in a foreign land as despicable and shameful as it was not in accordance with good character of Nigerians.
She, however, warned Nigerians living abroad to be good ambassadors of the country and desist from tarnishing the good image of Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa also advised embassies to screen applicants for visa and ensure that they are of good character.
The five Nigerians had on Sunday allegedly stormed a money exchange in Sharjah and fled with 2.3 million Dinars before they were arrested by the Dubai Police.
According to the Police, the men barged into the exchange and smashed the glass barrier between the customers and the staff, stole the money in multiple currencies and fled.
The five suspects who were on visitors visas to Dubai are Chimuanya Emmanuel Ozoh; Benjamin Nwachukwu Ajah; Kingsley Ikenna Ngoka; Tochukwu Leonard Alisi and Chile Micah Ndunagu.
