December 23, 2025 | News | SUNTV Global
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has countered claims by Amnesty International over the prolonged detention of a Nigerian, Suleimon Olufemi, on death row in Saudi Arabia, insisting that critical facts were omitted from the rights group’s public appeal.
NIDCOM said the full $570,000 blood money (diyya) demanded by the victim’s family under Saudi law has already been raised and paid, and that Nigerian authorities are now awaiting Olufemi’s release by Saudi officials.
This clarification follows an open letter by Amnesty International Nigeria to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in which the organisation described Olufemi’s over 20-year incarceration as an “unconscionable injustice” and urged the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic efforts to save his life.
Amnesty’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, had said:
“Sulaimon Olufemi has been on death row for more than two decades. This prolonged ordeal must end.”
However, in a statement issued Tuesday and signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM said it was “setting the records straight” on a case that has drawn sustained local and international attention.
According to the commission, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia more than 20 years ago for the lesser Hajj (Umrah) and later went to Jeddah to visit a friend. During that visit, a Saudi police officer was killed in an incident that led to the arrest of Olufemi and others who were found at the scene.
“While some of those arrested received prison sentences, Olufemi was sentenced to death,” NIDCOM said, noting that he has consistently maintained his innocence and that his conviction was based on circumstantial evidence rather than direct proof.
Under Saudi Arabia’s legal system, the family of a murder victim may either insist on capital punishment or grant a pardon in exchange for blood money. NIDCOM explained that once the victim’s child reached the age of 18, the family opted for compensation, demanding $570,000.
The commission disclosed that the demand was made about three and a half years ago, following sustained diplomatic engagements involving the 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 failing to support fundraising efforts at a critical stage of the process.
“Amnesty International was nowhere to be found when we approached them to collaborate in raising the required funds,” the statement said.
Instead, NIDCOM said the money was raised through a coordinated effort involving the Association of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, private individuals, and a GoFundMe campaign reportedly spearheaded by the Yaro brothers. The fundraising drive, which took place during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, also received major support from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu, who jointly donated about $150,000.
The commission confirmed that the entire sum has been paid into a designated account and that discussions are ongoing with Saudi authorities regarding Olufemi’s release.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia are actively engaging Saudi officials on when Suleimon Olufemi will be freed,” NIDCOM said, adding that the Foreign Affairs Minister has fully briefed President Tinubu on the matter.
Expressing optimism, the commission said Olufemi, who has spent “well over 20 years” in prison for an offence that “cannot be conclusively proven,” could regain his freedom soon.
While acknowledging Amnesty International’s advocacy role, NIDCOM urged the organisation to ensure accuracy in its interventions, stressing that “facts must not be sacrificed for publicity.”
The commission also revealed that its chairperson met Olufemi’s elderly parents at NIDCOM’s Lagos office on December 30, 2020, as part of ongoing engagement with the family.
NIDCOM appealed to Saudi Arabian authorities to grant Olufemi’s release in the interest of justice and fairness, citing the longstanding diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
