\nAhmad did not give details but recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, to intervene in the case of Nigerian student, Zainab Aliyu detained by Saudi Arabia authorities.
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\nZainab Aliyu, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, who travelled for Lesser Hajj in Dec. 2018 was detained by the Saudi Arabia authorities for allegedly being in possession of a banned substance, Tramadol.
\nMrs Abike Dabiri Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, said this in a statement by her Media Aide, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Monday in Abuja.
\n\u201cPresident Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive immediately the matter was brought to his attention about two weeks ago.
\n\u201cMy office has been working with the AGF as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that regard,\u201d she said.
\nThe Presidential aide assured that progress was being made in Zainab\u2019s case along with two others held in similar circumstances in Saudi Arabia.
\n\u201cZainab, although detained, had not been put on trial by the Saudi Arabia government.
\n\u201cAnd with the hard evidence that those who implicated her have been arrested, a strong legal case is being made to the Saudi authorities,\u201d she said.
\nMr Habib Aliyu, the father of the alleged drug courier, Zainab, had appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in her daughter\u2019s case and save the \u2018innocent\u2019 lady from being executed wrongly.
\nAliyu also called on the Saudi authorities and the international community as well as well-meaning individuals to intervene.
\nZainab\u2019s father had expressed displeasure over his daughter\u2019s arrest and detention in a Saudi Prison in spite of the recent discovery that she was framed by some drug cartel.
\nHe had explained that the allegations of Zainab entering the country with Tramadol was absolute falsehood as recent events and arrests had confirmed the girl\u2019s innocence.
\nZainab, had travelled from Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in company of her mother, Mrs Maryam Aliyu, and sister Hajara Aliyu.
\nShe was later arrested over allegations that a luggage, bearing her name tag, contained the unlawful substance.
\nZainab who was accused of entering Saudi Arabia with an illegal dose of Tramadol was later discovered to be a victim of a cartel that specialised in keeping hard drugs in travellers\u2019 bags.
\nAccording to the statement some members of the drug cartel are already in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
\nAmnesty International and many Nigerians on Monday night campaigned for Zainab\u2019s release.
\nAmnesty said: Saudi Arabian authorities must free Zainab Habibu Aliyu. Her ordeal shows everything wrong with death penalty. Let us raise our voices, until Zainab is free. No one knows who can be the next victim of such injustice. #FreeZainab #Nigeria #ZainabIsInnocent\u201d
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