The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified that photographs currently in circulation, purported to be those of the three Nigerian pilgrims recently released by Saudi authorities, are not genuine.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said some media outlets had published unrelated images and falsely presented them as those of the pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the images currently in circulation are not those of the three Nigerians who were detained in Jeddah,” Babafemi stated.
He explained that the NDLEA deliberately refrained from releasing or publishing the pilgrims’ photographs in order to protect their privacy, dignity, and ease of reintegration into society without stigma.
The agency urged media organizations to exercise caution and desist from using misleading images that could compromise the rights of innocent individuals.
“The Agency appreciates the role of the media as a vital partner in information dissemination and public enlightenment, and therefore urges all news platforms to refrain from using images that could misrepresent facts or compromise the dignity of innocent persons,” the statement added.
