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Tuesday 23 July 2013

NIGERIAN ON DEATH ROW IN ASIA -PACIFIC


The Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, left Abuja on Tuesday for Indonesia and the Philippines to revive clemency talks for Nigerians on death row in the Asian-pacific countries.
A Director in the Minister’s office, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known to newsmen in Abuja during a one-day workshop for diplomatic correspondents.
He said that the visit was a follow-up to the February visit of the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang-Yudhoyono, to Nigeria, where the issue of clemency for Nigerians on death row was discussed.
At the time, the Indonesian president did not provide any definite answers to the pleas of the Nigerian government for pardon of its citizens in Indonesian prisons.
Mr. Enikanolaiye said: “You will recall that we have a lot of Nigerians on death row in that country (Indonesia).
“The honourable minister is concerned and is ready to plead for clemency with a bid to ensure that some of these Nigerians, if they are not pardoned, they can be returned under the Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA).
He said that the minister would discuss the PTA issue with Indonesia and noted that the last execution of a Nigerian in the country took place in 2012.
The director recalled that former foreign minister, Ojo Madueke, undertook a similar trip to the country in 2010 which resulted in a moratorium on the execution of those on death row.
A report published by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman House Committee on Diaspora Affairs in February put the number of Nigerians on death row in Indonesia at 48.

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