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A Nigerian man who has spent more than two decades on death row in Saudi Arabia for a murder that authorities admit could not be conclusively proven is now on the verge of regaining his freedom, following the payment of the required blood money and sustained diplomatic engagement by the Nigerian government.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) confirmed that all financial and diplomatic conditions for the possible release of Suleimon Olufemi have now been met, raising strong hopes that the Saudi authorities will soon grant him a pardon.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by NIDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the commission said Olufemi’s ordeal began more than 20 years ago after he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, Umrah.
“Suleimon Olufemi left Nigeria for Umrah in Saudi Arabia and decided to check on a friend in Jeddah,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, there was an incident in the area where a police officer was killed, and he was arrested among those found in the vicinity.”
Balogun explained that while others arrested in connection with the incident received prison sentences, Olufemi was handed the death penalty.
“While some got prison sentences, he got a death sentence,” he said.
Under Saudi law, the family of the slain police officer retained the right to insist on execution or grant a pardon once the victim’s child attained adulthood.
According to NIDCOM, once the child turned 18, the family opted to demand blood money, known as Diyya, as a condition for sparing Olufemi’s life.
“After a series of diplomatic interventions and several meetings with the family, they insisted that Suleimon Olufemi must pay blood money to the tune of 570,000 US dollars,” Balogun stated.
He disclosed that the demand was made about three and a half years ago, setting in motion a complex fundraising and diplomatic effort involving NIDCOM, Nigerian community leaders in Saudi Arabia and key stakeholders at home.
“NIDCOM, in conjunction with the Association of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, championed by the Yaro brothers, raised the 570,000 dollars which has now been fully paid,” Balogun said.
He added that the funds were contributed through a combination of private donations and government support.
“Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu contributed significantly, with about 150,000 dollars coming from them, while the balance was raised through a GoFundMe initiative started by the Yaro brothers,” he said.
With the payment completed, attention has shifted to final diplomatic processes.
“Now, the money has been paid,” Balogun confirmed. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia have been engaging the Saudi authorities on when Suleimon Olufemi will be released.”
He said the Minister of Foreign Affairs had briefed President Bola Tinubu on the matter, expressing confidence that the case is nearing a positive conclusion.
“With the funds raised and diplomatic moves being made, we are optimistic that the Saudi authorities will pardon Suleimon Olufemi, who has been in jail for well over 20 years for an offence that really cannot be proven that he committed,” Balogun said.
Describing the case as a tragic miscarriage of justice, he added: “He was apparently in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
NIDCOM also revealed that its Chairman has maintained direct contact with Olufemi’s family throughout the ordeal.
“The Chairman received Suleimon Olufemi’s aged parents at the NIDCOM office in Lagos on December 30, 2020, and has continued to engage the family,” the statement noted.
The commission appealed directly to Saudi authorities to bring the matter to a close.
“We appeal to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to release Suleimon Olufemi from prison, having paid the imposed blood money, in the spirit of fairness, justice and the cordial diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia,” Balogun said.
Olufemi’s case has become one of the longest-running capital punishment cases involving a Nigerian abroad, and officials say his expected release would mark the end of a 20-year ordeal that has tested the limits of diplomacy and humanitarian intervention.
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