Two days after the release of Maryam Aliyu from prison, the federal government on Thursday secured release of another Nigerian, Ibrahim Abubakar, who was falsely accused of drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to facilitate the release of the duo as they were innocent of the crime.
Nigerian authorities had discovered that Mr Abubakar’s case was the same as Zainab Aliyu’s, a student of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, who was detained by the Saudi authorities for alleged possession of illicit drugs.
A cartel that checked the contentious bags in their names was busted by the NDLEA, following a petition by Miss Aliyu’s father, Habibu Aliyu.
The cartel specialized in planting hard drugs, taking advantage of the usually unmet baggage allowance of outbound passengers, to export the substances to Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries.
Subsequently, six of the suspects were arraigned at the Federal High Court, sitting at court road, Kano State, while the other one was at large.
The accused, namely: Idris Umar Shehu (alias Umar Sanda), Sanni Suleiman, Nuhu Adamu, Rhoda Adetunji, Udosen Itoro Henry and Sanni Hamisu were arraigned on three-count charges.
However, in a twist of event, the suspects were all granted bail, while the duo suffered.
The suspects were first arraigned before Justice Lewis Alagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano, and were later released on bail.
