Over 130 Nigerians On Death Row

Latest news according to Sun News is that one hundred and thirty two Nigerian citizens are on death row in various prisons across Indonesia, China and Singapore.

While the Taiwan Embassy in Abuja denied knowledge of any Nigerian on death role in its country, the story is totally different in Indonesia who, last week, put four Nigerians to death by firing squad.

Sunday Sun investigation at the Indonesian Embassy, Abuja, revealed that 11 Nigerians are currently on death row, having been sentenced to death at various times by Indonesian courts.

They were sentenced to death on drug-related offences, which largely centered on being in possession of heroin and other narcotics.

Obinna Nwajagu, Michael Titus Igwe, Hillary .K. Chimezie, Stephen Rasheed Akinyemi, Humphrey Ijike alias Doctor, Gap Nadi alias Papa, are some Nigerians whom the Indonesian government may execute any time from now.

Others awaiting death in Indonesia include, Eugene Ape alias Felixe, Ekfere Dike Ale Kamal alias Samuel, Seck Osmane/Cajetan Uchenna Onyenworo, Samuel Iwuchukwu Okoye and Hansen Anthony Nwaolisa.

Some human rights groups had sometime in April 2013, petitioned the National Assembly over the fate of 14 Nigerians awaiting death in Indonesia.

The groups, World Alliance for Against Terrorism, Violence and Inhuman Treatment and Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), also urged the federal government to wade into the matter.

But in spite of pleas for clemency by the Nigerian government, Indonesia known for its hard stance on drug offences, has never shied away from carrying out capital punishment on drug-related offences in its country.

For instance, prior to the execution of Messrs Martin Anderson, Okwudili Oyatanze, Jaminu Abashin and Sylvester Obiekwe by the Government of Indonesia for drug-related offences last week on the island of Nusakambangan, the Indonesian government had executed two Nigerians, Daniel Enemuo and Solomon Chibuike Oka-for on January 18 this year.

A helpless Nigerian Ambassador to Indonesia, Muhammad Suleiman, had in his recent correspondence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, following the execution of the four Nigerians, bemoaned the resurgence of drug crime in Indonesia.

He had in his report, told Wali that while pleas by President Goodluck Jonathan and Wali were being pursued, seven fresh cases had emerged, which made it impossible for something concrete to be done in the case of Nigerians involved in drug related-offences in Indonesia.

However, the case of China seems to be more alarming considering that execution of drug offenders by the Chinese government is done in a well-packaged manner which most times, does not draw the attention of the general public.

For instance, a check at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, revealed that on December 19, 2014, one Obiora Ifekpolugwo was executed in China and this did not draw both local and international attention.

Similarly, Sunday Sun source at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that two Nigerians were also executed in China on April 24.

The Sun