The Saudi Arabian government has released Ibrahim Abubakar,
the Nigerian arrested alongside Zainab Aliyu, to the Nigerian Consulate in
Jeddah.
Abubakar, who was arrested for the same offence as Zainab,
was released to Garba Satomi Grema, the acting Consul-General, Nigerian
Consulate, on Thursday in line with the previous promise of Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian government secured the release of
Zainab, the student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, who was arrested and had
been in detention since December when a banned drug, tramadol, was found in her
bag on arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Her continued detention sparked widespread sympathy all over
the country, on the back of claims that she was innocent and only fell victim
to a drug cartel at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, that
specialises in keeping hard drugs in travellers’ bags.
Ambassador Mustapha Suleiman, the Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the Nigerian government had
succeeded in establishing Zainab's innocence.
It also confirmed that Abubakar, the second Nigerian involved in the
case, would be released to the Nigerian Mission in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
