When
he hosted the new Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto, two days
ago at the presidential villa, Pres. Goodluck Jonathan began negotiations with
him for a moratorium on three Nigerians who are facing imminent execution in
that country.
The three Nigerians are Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39), Okwudili Oyatanze (40), and Spanish born Nigerian Raheem Agbaje Salami (45). They are facing execution alongside six other foreign nationals for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities.
The three Nigerians are Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39), Okwudili Oyatanze (40), and Spanish born Nigerian Raheem Agbaje Salami (45). They are facing execution alongside six other foreign nationals for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities.
Indonesian
president, Joko Widodo, rejected pleas for clemency, saying the
country is suffering a drug emergency and already, Indonesia’s
attorney-general, Muhammad Prasetyo, says preparations have been concluded
at the execution site where they are to face a firing squad.
It is unclear when the execution will take place,
but yesterday, Australian Andrew Chan (31), his country
man, Myuran Sukumaran (33), Agbaje Salami, and Mary
Jane Fiesta Veloso (30) from the Philippines were
moved to Nusakambangan, a high security prison island where executions are
conducted.
Other countries with nationals to be executed are
Brazil, France and Ghana.
At the meeting in the presidential villa where
Indonesian ambassador Purwanto submitted his letter of credence,
President Jonathan pleaded with the Indonesians for clemency for the Nigerians
who were nabbed running drugs, while in prison.
According to a source at the presidential villa who
spoke anonymously because he is not authorised to speak on the
matter: “The president met with the Indonesian delegation and was quite
persuasive in making the case that a moratorium be placed on the execution of
the Nigerians on death row.”
The source however said that the government is not
coming out to make statements or make a show about its efforts in trying to
ensure that the lives of the Nigerian citizens are spared because “in this
political season, if anything goes wrong during the negotiations, opponents of
the president would not consider the efforts put in and will simply make a meal
out of the issue.”
Other countries, and even Amnesty International,
have been pleading with the Indonesian government to not go ahead with the
planned execution. Brazil postponed accepting the
credentials of Indonesia’s newly designated envoy in protest, while Australia
called for a ‘reciprocation’ of the $1 billion 2004 tsunami aid package by
sparing the lives of its citizens.
-Declan Anosike
-Declan Anosike
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