metro
Many Nigerians accused of peddling hard drugs rot away in Saudi prisons
Hundreds of Nigerians arrested and detained by the Saudi Arabian authorities on suspicion of drug peddling are now rotting away in various prisons in the Middle East country.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that although many of the detainees were initially slated for execution by the Saudi authorities in accordance with the country’s penal code, many of them are, however, being kept in prisons spread across the country without any reference to whether they would be killed or released.
A close source to one of the victims, who was arrested and detained in Saudi Arabia in 2015 on suspicion of trafficking drugs to the country, said the family was worried about the fate of their son and breadwinner from Kwara State, having not known what had become of his situation.
One of the parents of the detainees said, “At first, our son was threatened with public execution for alleged drug offence but after the matter was examined by the Saudi authorities, our son was referred for further investigation and later taken from death row and placed in prison in Riyadh since 2016.
“We are made to understand that some countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan and others, whose nationals were also detained on suspicion of drug peddling, have since stepped in and got their natives freed from Saudi prisons and taken home.
“The governments of these countries spoke with the Saudi authorities about their nationals who were also being detained with Nigerian inmates, and they were released. Our fear is that without urgent intervention by the Nigerian government, these suspects, some of who are completely innocent, may end up in Saudi jail forever.
“We are, therefore, passionately pleading with the Nigerian government to show mercy with her citizens who are unduly being kept away in various prisons in Saudi Arabia by stepping in and getting justice for those who are simply being unjustly detained or those who might have completed their jail sentences.
“The point is that many of these Nigerian detainees who were arrested as early as 2014 and kept away on allegation of drug dealings, would have completed their jail terms by now even if they were duly tried, convicted and jailed by the authorities.”
“But to simply arrest Nigerian citizens on drug allegation and keep them indefinitely in jail without any word as to their fate is simply unhelpful and apprehensive, given the fact that some other countries have got their citizens out of the same system,” another Nigerian parent, whose son is in Jedda prison, lamented.
-Vanguard
metro
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.
The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.
His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.
“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.
“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.
“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.
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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
metro
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.
Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.
According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.
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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.
Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.
Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.
He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
(NAN)
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