By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that photographs being circulated in the media as those of the three Nigerian pilgrims recently released by Saudi authorities were not authentic.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi said that the agency observed that following reports on the release of the three innocent Nigerian pilgrims by Saudi authorities, some media outlets had published unrelated images and presented them as those of the victims.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the images currently in circulation are not those of the three Nigerians who were detained in Jeddah.

“In line with globally accepted standards on human rights protection, privacy, and dignity of victims of such incidents, the agency deliberately refrained from publishing or releasing their photographs at any stage of its public communication on the matter,” he said.

The NDLEA spokesman explained that the decision was taken to protect the pilgrims from undue public exposure and to enable them to reintegrate into society without stigma.

He, however, said that the agency valued the role of the media as a vital partner in information dissemination and public enlightenment.

Babafemi, however, urged all news platforms to desist from using images that could misrepresent facts or compromise the dignity of innocent persons. (NAN)