Zainab Aliyu has been released by the Saudi Arabia authorities after the
Nigerian government established her innocence.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sulaiman Mustapha,
disclosed at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday that Aliyu, who was
detained in Saudi Arabia was released to the Nigerian mission in Saudi.
He said the government has been able to establish the innocence of Aliyu
and the second Nigerian, Ibrahim Abubakar involved in the case.
With increasing calls for the release of Zainab, the President of
Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari directed the Attorney General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami, to immediately intervene in the case.
The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, established that Aliyu
was a victim of a drug cartel that places hard drugs in bags in the name
of travellers at the Aminu Kano airport in Kano.
Aliyu departed Nigeria from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano alongside her mother, Maryam Aliyu, and sister, Hajara Aliyu, but
she was arrested by the authorities over allegations that a bag bearing
her name contained an illegal dosage of Tramadol.
Mustapha also said the other victim, Ibrahim Abubakar will be released
tomorrow.