Zainab Aliyu, who miraculously escaped execution in Saudi Arabia for an offence she did not commit, is expected back today.
Credible sources in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have revealed that Saudi authorities were fully convinced that Zainab was innocent, Daily Trust reports.
“Secondly, President Muhammadu Buhari has enormous goodwill from Saudi authorities.
“In fact, the authorities believe if the girl had anything to do with the drugs, the President would not have intervened, she would have been left to pay the consequences.
“And thirdly, the girl had passed through all the necessary layers of interrogations while in custody and proved her innocence,” he said.
Another source said the prompt arrest of the culprits (planters of hard drugs in travelers’ luggage) at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport from where Zainab and her family members flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, added impetus to the negotiations that led to the release of the girl.
How Zainab was arrested – Mother
Zainab’s mother narrated how she was arrested at their hotel.
According to her, it was the next day, and they heard a knock at the door.
When she opened the door, she said: “I saw some Arabs and two black men standing. “They asked us some few questions related to our luggage. They asked whether we have left some luggage at the Jeddah airport and I told them we have not left any luggage.
“I showed all our luggage to them. They demanded to search our luggage and we allowed them because we believed we did not carry anything incriminating in our luggage.
“After searching our luggage, they also ransacked the house thinking that they could get something incriminating, but Alhamdulillah! they did not find anything of such nature.
“After the search, they said they were going with Zainab for questioning because the bag they found with drugs was bearing her name.
“At the first instance, I resisted but the two black men who were fluent in Hausa language convinced me that nothing will happen to her and that the Arab people are officials of Saudi Arabian drug agency.
“I allowed them to go with her believing they will return her to me after questioning.”
“However, since the security agents went with Zainab, the family did not hear anything from her until the next day after Maryam called the number of one of the black men that accompanied the Arabs.
“The man assured her that nothing bad would happen to her and promised to find out from the security agents.
“After some minutes, he called back and informed me that the security men could not question Zainab the day she was taken. He said they will allow her to pick her calls and that I should call her line.
“I obliged and she answered immediately, she confirmed to me that they were on their way to Jeddah. “We did not hear from Zainab until the next day the December 27, when a lady called my line and told me that Zainab wanted to speak with me but I should buy her 30 Saudi riyals worth of credit with which I will speak with my daughter.
“That was how Zainab told me that she was in the prison over alleged drug trafficking.”
She said Zainab’s father also immediately reported the matter to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Federal Airport Authority of Nigerian, Nigerian Embassy and other relevant authorities.
“So, to cut it short, this is how my daughter Zainab was arrested by the Saudi Arabian authorities over alleged drug trafficking. I thank Allah who spared my life to witness this historic day in my life.
“I thank President Muhammadu Buhari and all those that have contributed to the release of my innocent daughter.
“My appeal to the government is to ensure that this kind of thing did not happen to others in the future,” she said.
