According to NIDCOM, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah) more than two decades ago and later went to Jeddah to visit a friend.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has pushed back against a recent open letter by Amnesty International calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the case of Suleimon Olufemi, a Nigerian who has spent over 20 years on death row in Saudi Arabia, insisting that key facts were omitted from Amnesty’s account.
SaharaReporters had on Monday reported that Amnesty International in an open letter to President Tinubu described Olufemi’s continued detention as an “unconscionable injustice” and called for intensified diplomatic engagement with Saudi authorities.
“Sulaimon Olufemi has been on death row for more than two decades. This prolonged ordeal must end,” Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said.
“The Nigerian government must act decisively to ensure clarity on his legal status, secure him legal representation, and ensure that his death sentence is quashed.”
However, in a press statement issued on Tuesday, and signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM said it was “setting the records straight” on the long-running case, which has periodically drawn media and human rights attention both locally and internationally.
According to NIDCOM, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah) more than two decades ago and later went to Jeddah to visit a friend. During his visit, an incident occurred in which a Saudi police officer was killed. Olufemi, who was among those found in the vicinity, was arrested and charged with murder.
“Unfortunately for him, while some got prison sentences, he got a death sentence,” the commission said, adding that Olufemi has consistently maintained his innocence and that his conviction was based on circumstances rather than conclusive proof.
Under Saudi Arabia’s legal system, the family of a murder victim has the right to either insist on capital punishment or grant a pardon in exchange for blood money (diyya).
NIDCOM explained that once the victim’s child reached the age of 18, the family chose the latter option, demanding $570,000 in compensation.
The commission disclosed that this demand was made about three and a half years ago, following extensive diplomatic engagements involving Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and NIDCOM officials, including its former Legal Director, Barrister Abdullahi Bello.
NIDCOM accused Amnesty International of being absent at a critical stage, despite earlier expressions of interest.
“Amnesty International was nowhere to be found then, when we approached them to collaborate to raise the funds required,” the statement said.
Instead, the commission said the funds were raised through a coordinated effort involving NIDCOM, the Association of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, and private individuals. The fundraising drive was reportedly championed by the Yaro brothers through a GoFundMe campaign, with significant contributions from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu, who together donated about $150,000. The initiative took place during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
NIDCOM confirmed that the full $570,000 has now been paid into an account opened specifically for the purpose, and that Nigerian authorities are awaiting final action from Saudi officials.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria Embassy in Saudi Arabia have been engaging the Saudi authorities on when Suleimon Olufemi will be released,” the commission said, adding that the Foreign Affairs Minister has briefed President Tinubu on the matter.
The commission expressed optimism that Olufemi would soon be granted freedom, noting that he has spent “well over 20 years” in prison for an offence that “really cannot be proven that he committed.”
While acknowledging Amnesty International’s advocacy role, NIDCOM urged the organisation to be “factual and not just be self-seeking” in its interventions.
As part of its engagement with the family, NIDCOM revealed that its chairperson met Olufemi’s elderly parents at the commission’s Lagos office on December 30, 2020.
The agency appealed to Saudi Arabian authorities to release Olufemi, citing fairness, justice, and the longstanding diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.