Two Nigerians Executed In Indonesia Over Drug Offenses

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Despite all the legal appeals, diplomatic pressure as well as local and international condemnation Indonesia has continued execution of prisoners sentenced to death over drug offenses. Four out of the 14 prisoners left after last years execution were killed early Friday morning. There were two Nigerians executed, one south African and and Indonesian citizen.

The four prisoners executed were Seck Osmane, a South African, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Elekwe and Michael Titus Igweh, both Nigerians and Freddy Budiman an Indonesian.

They were killed killed by a firing squad in a clearing on the penal island of Nusa Kambangan. There was a heavy security presence in the area. Police, army and navy personnel were tightly monitoring the port, the gateway to Nusa Kambangan prison, with 1,500 officers assigned to guard the area.

The remaining 10 prisoners are to be killed on a later date as confirmed by the Authorities. They however gave no reasons for sparing the remaining prisoners.

Coffins were ferried to Nusa Kambangan on Thursday morning, and spiritual advisers  who give comfort and guidance to prisoners in their final hours had been told to prepare the inmates for their deaths within hours.

The remaining 1o prisoners consists of two Indonesians and eight foreign nationals with South Africans and Indians among them.

Since Indosian President, Joko Widodo came to power in 2014, he took a strong stance against drug trafficking in the country. There are more than 150 people on death row in Indonesia currently  according to Amnesty International. The 150 prisoners on Indonesian death row has among them, two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, and American Frank Amado.

Indonesia execute Nigerians
A LOCAL WOMAN APPEALING FOR MERCY FOR ONE OF THE REMAINING PRISONERS

Speaking on the executions, the authorities said they do not enjoy what is going on but had to do it ”to fight what it described as drug epidemics”

Deputy attorney general Noor Rachmad said the four men were executed shortly after midnight local time.

“This is not a fun job. For us, this is really a sad job because it involves people’s lives,” he said. “This was done not in order to take lives but to stop evil intentions, and the evil act of drug trafficking.”

Speaking on the incident, the lawyer of one of the Nigerians executed, described the execution as illegal. Afif Abdul Qoyim, told reporters that the execution should not have gone ahead as his client this week filed a legal appeal.

“When this process is not respected, that means that this is no longer a country that upholds the law, nor human rights,” he said.

Meanwhile Amnesty International has condemned the continued execution of prisoners by the Indonesian Government. Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty’s director for south-east Asia and the Pacific described the execution as “a deplorable act”.

“Any executions that are still to take place must be halted immediately. The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won’t be compounded.”

It will be recalled that just over a year ago, 14 people were killed in two rounds last year. Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria nationals among others, as well as the two Australian men, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were put in front of the firing squad.

Despite  all the executions, report has it that the crimes in the country shows no signs of abating. Many at home and abroad does not see unlawful executions as a way to end crimes in Indonesia.

This recent executions will surely bring up a lot of diplomatic issues for Indonesia. With two Nigerians executed and other nationals as well, the country may have big diplomatic drawbacks in the foreseeable future.

Two Nigerians Executed In Indonesia Over Drug Offenses: Have your say on the continued killing of prisoners by Indonesia.