Three Nigerian women—Hadiza Abba, Fatima Umate Malah, and Fatima Kannai Gamboi—who had been held in Saudi Arabia for almost ten months on drug trafficking accusations have been acquitted and released, according to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They were arrested at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah on March 5, 2024, and were later released after a protracted court struggle.
After two other Nigerian nationals were seized with 80 cocaine capsules weighing 900.28 grams and 70 cocaine capsules weighing 789.5 grams, respectively, the women were first detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting drug trafficking.
The ministry emphasized in a statement released by Acting Spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa that the women were connected to the previous arrests rather than being directly involved in cocaine possession.
According to the statement, the women were arrested by Saudi officials on suspicion of being complicit in the trafficking of the prohibited substance that was discovered on the Nigerians who were previously arrested.
Due to the case’s widespread attention in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, significant diplomatic attempts were made to secure their release.
The three were turned over to the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah after the ministry verified that they had been released and found not guilty following protracted discussions.
Ambassador Muazam Nayaya, the Nigerian Consul-General in Jeddah, greeted the women enthusiastically upon their release. In preparation for their return to Nigeria, where they will be reunited with their families, they are presently going through immigration formalities.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) January 5, 2025