Saudi Prisoner Case: Nigeria Says Compensation Settled for Suleimon Olufemi

Nigerian authorities confirm payment of “blood money” (diyya) under Saudi law, with talks ongoing over the release of the citizen condemned to death.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Nigeria’s government has said that a $570,000 compensation payment required under Saudi law has been paid in the case of a Nigerian citizen on death row in Saudi Arabia, pushing back against an appeal by Amnesty International for presidential intervention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said Suleimon Olufemi, who has spent more than 20 years in prison in Saudi Arabia, was sentenced to death after being arrested near the scene of a fatal incident involving a Saudi police officer.

According to NIDCOM, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage and was later detained in the city of Jeddah following the killing of the officer. While others arrested at the scene received prison sentences, Olufemi was handed a death sentence, the commission said.

Under Saudi Arabia’s legal system, the family of a victim may pardon a convicted person in exchange for compensation, known as diyya or “blood money”. NIDCOM said the victim’s family demanded $570,000 once the officer’s child reached legal age.

The commission said it raised the funds more than three years ago in collaboration with Nigerian community groups in Saudi Arabia, with contributions from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu, as well as public fundraising efforts.

The payment was made during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, NIDCOM said.

The agency said Nigeria’s foreign ministry and embassy in Saudi Arabia are now engaging Saudi authorities on the timing of Olufemi’s release, following confirmation that the compensation has been deposited in an account opened for the purpose.

NIDCOM said it had previously sought Amnesty International’s support to help raise the funds but received no assistance at the time.

Amnesty International recently published an open letter urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the case.

In a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM’s director of media, public relations and protocols, the commission said it remained optimistic that Saudi authorities would grant a pardon following diplomatic engagement.

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