8 more Nigerians face execution in Indonesia – Diaspora Group

By Prisca Sam-Duru
AGROUP, United Nigerians In Diaspora,
UNID, has called on the Federal Government
to prevail on the Indonesian government to
stay action on its plans to execute eight
more Nigerian citizens for drug related
offences.



Briefing newsmen in Lagos, the group’s
president, Mr. Paschal Okolie, condemned
what it described as the poor attitude of the
government towards the recent execution of
four Nigerians in Indonesia.
His words: ”Considering that the next batch
of execution will take place in no distant time
in Indonesia, we urge the good people of
Nigeria and our government to rise up with
the entire world to stop further executions of
Nigerians. Enough of the killings. Nigeria
should leverage on the strong bilateral
relationship it has with Indonesia and
negotiate to stop the execution of the eight
waiting to be killed. In as much as we totally
condemn drug trafficking and wish to
sensitise intending traffickers on the
consequences that awaits offenders, we also
condemn capital punishment especially
since it has not been able to quell the issue
of drug trafficking in Indonesia.”
Okolie who gave names of those awaiting
further execution as, Michael Titus Igwe,
Kingsley Okonkwo, Uchenna Onyewuru,
Eugene Ape, Hunphery Ejike, Obinna
Nwajiagu, Benjamin Onuoha and Ikenna
Abanukwu, said, ”Nigerian Embassy in
Indonesia is longer concerned with passport
renewals than the welfare or security of
Nigerians. Those Nigerians killed were not
giving fair trial, there is language barrier
which made it impossible for them to defend
themselves properly, Nigerian embassy did
not even send representatives to court to
assist them, so they were left at the mercy of
Indonesia which was bent on killing them.”
‘’Most times Nigerians are thrown into
prisons for more than four months without
anyone knowing about it. They are tortured
and some even die in the process. The way a
country treats her citizens, is a reflection of
how the citizens will be treated in foreign
lands. Therefore, we feel it is high time our
government rose to the occasion to
ameliorate the plight of its citizens.’’
“we expected our government to show
concern just like other countries whose
nationals were involved. The way a
government treats its citizens, is a reflection
of how the citizens are likely to be treated in
foreign lands. Therefore, we feel it is high
time our government rose to the occasion to
ameliorate the plights of its citizens no
matter the circumstance.
We use this opportunity to appeal to the
youth, to beware of the kind of friendships
they keep as well as activities they engage
themselves. One of the reasons there are
many young Nigerians in prisons in different
countries of the world today, is due to get
rich quick syndrome, fast track. But in the
end, they lose everything including their
lives.