NDLEA clarifies circulating images of Nigerian pilgrims released by Saudi
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA
Abdullateef Fowewe
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned media outlets against circulating photographs of unrelated individuals falsely presented as the three Nigerian pilgrims recently released by Saudi authorities.
The agency in a statement obtained its website on Thursday clarified that “the images currently in circulation are not those of the three Nigerians who were detained in Jeddah.”
Emphasising respect for human rights and privacy, the NDLEA explained that it “deliberately refrained from publishing or releasing their photographs at any stage” to protect the victims from undue public exposure and to support their reintegration into society without stigma.
Signed by the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the statement urged the media to exercise caution, saying the agency “appreciates the role of the media as a vital partner in information dissemination and public enlightenment” and called on news platforms to “refrain from using images that could misrepresent facts or compromise the dignity of innocent persons.”
