The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has confirmed that the $570,000 blood money required for the release of Suleimon Olufemi, a Nigerian held on death row in Saudi Arabia for more than two decades, has been fully paid, clearing a major obstacle to his freedom.
The clarification follows an open letter by Amnesty International calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the long-running case.
In a statement issued on December 23, 2025, NIDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the commission was “setting the record straight” and correcting what it described as incomplete public narratives surrounding the matter.
According to NIDCOM, Olufemi travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and later visited a friend in Jeddah, where a Saudi police officer was killed during an incident. Olufemi and others found at the scene were arrested. While others received prison sentences, Olufemi was condemned to death.
Balogun explained that under Saudi legal provisions, the family of the deceased officer retained the right to either insist on execution or grant a pardon after the officer’s child reached legal age — conditional on the payment of blood money (diyya).
He said years of diplomatic engagements, negotiations, and mediation — including efforts by NIDCOM’s former legal director, Abdullahi Bello — eventually led the victim’s family to agree to pardon Olufemi in exchange for $570,000.
NIDCOM disclosed that it had approached Amnesty International at the time to partner in fundraising but received no response. The funds were ultimately raised about three and a half years ago through coordinated efforts by NIDCOM and the Association of Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, led by the Yaro brothers.
Contributions reportedly included about $150,000 from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Tinubu, with the balance raised via a GoFundMe campaign during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Balogun said the money has since been paid into a dedicated account, and Nigerian authorities are now engaging Saudi officials on the timeline for Olufemi’s release. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, he added, has briefed President Tinubu on the matter.
“The conditions set by the victim’s family have been fulfilled,” Balogun said, expressing optimism that Saudi authorities would honour the agreement and grant Olufemi’s release.
He also revealed that the NIDCOM chairman has remained in contact with Olufemi’s family and hosted his elderly parents at the commission’s Lagos office in December 2020.
While acknowledging Amnesty International’s advocacy, NIDCOM urged the organisation to present a complete and accurate account of the case. The commission further appealed to Saudi authorities to release Olufemi in the interest of justice, fairness, and the longstanding diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
