The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has faulted an open letter by Amnesty International to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the case of a Nigerian, Suleimon Olufemi, who has spent over 20 years on death row in Saudi Arabia, saying the rights group deliberately left out critical facts surrounding the matter.
In a statement signed by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM said that while Amnesty International appeared to be advocating for Olufemi’s release, its publication failed to present the full circumstances of the case and ongoing diplomatic efforts by Nigeria.
According to the commission, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj (Umrah) and later visited a friend in Jeddah, where a police officer was killed.
He was arrested among several people found in the vicinity of the incident and subsequently charged with murder.
NIDCOM explained that while others arrested in connection with the incident received prison sentences, Olufemi was sentenced to death. With the child of the deceased police officer now above 18 years of age, Saudi law permits the family of the victim to either uphold the death sentence or grant a pardon upon payment of blood money (Diyya).
The commission disclosed that after prolonged diplomatic engagements and several meetings with the victim’s family, including efforts led by NIDCOM’s former Legal Director, Barrister Abdullahi Bello, the family insisted on a payment of $570,000 as blood money.
Balogun noted that this demand was made about three and a half years ago, at a time Amnesty International was reportedly not available to collaborate in raising the required funds, despite earlier expressions of interest in the case.
He said NIDCOM, working with the Association of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia and spearheaded by the Yaro brothers, eventually raised the full amount.
The fundraising, which took place during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, received significant support from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu, who jointly contributed about $150,000, while the balance was raised through a GoFundMe campaign.
The commission confirmed that the full sum has been paid into an account opened specifically for the purpose and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, is currently engaging Saudi authorities on Olufemi’s release.
“With the funds raised and diplomatic moves being made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has also briefed Mr President, we are optimistic that the Saudi authorities will pardon Suleimon Olufemi, who has been incarcerated for well over 20 years for an offence that cannot be conclusively proven,” the statement said.
Describing Olufemi as a victim of circumstance, NIDCOM said he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
While acknowledging the role of Amnesty International, the commission urged the organisation to be factual in its interventions and avoid what it described as self-serving narratives in a “pathetic case.”
NIDCOM also revealed that its Chairman has maintained contact with Olufemi’s family and received his aged parents at the commission’s Lagos office on December 30, 2020.
The commission appealed to Saudi authorities to release Olufemi in the spirit of fairness, justice and the cordial diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
