Update: There was no execution of 23 Nigerians in Saudi Arabia over drug trafficking

Update: FG denies execution of 23 Nigerians in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied the execution of 23 Nigerians for drug-related offences in Saudi Arabia.

Its spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, yesterday dismissed the media reports as baseless.

He said the Nigerian mission in the Asian nation had refuted the speculation.

Nwonye added that the ministry was also investigating claims that most of the trials were done without adequate legal representation for the accused in accordance with internationally accepted practices.

The government, however, expressed displeasure that the country’s embassy was not informed of the arrest and trial of the Nigerians.

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Some 23 Nigerians are on death roll in Saudi Arabia for trafficking drugs into their country illegally.

This was revealed in a statement released by the Saudi Arabian Government on Saturday.

According to the statement, the suspects were arrested between 2016 and 2017 at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdu-Aziz International Airport, Madinah.

The suspects were said to have concealed the narcotic substance in their rectum, an act the Saudi Government says contravenes its narcotic and psychotropic substances rules that govern their country.

The offense is punishable by death and nothing less.

The latest case is coming few weeks after Saudi authorities executed Kudirat Afolabi for drug trafficking and Saheed Sobade, another Nigerian, reportedly nabbed with 1,183 grams of cocaine in Jeddah.

Many Nigerians are currently heartbroken over the whole situation.