Again, Two Nigerians, Eight Others Face Execution in Indonesia

05 Mar 2015 By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja with agency reports 
 Two Nigerians, Mr. Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39) and Okwudili Oyatanze (40), are among the nine foreign nationals facing imminent execution for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities. A Spanish-born Nigerian, Mr. Raheem Agbaje Salami (45), is also one of those whose fate has been sealed following the rejection of their clemency requests by Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, who insisted his country is suffering a drug emergency. An Indonesian national is also slated for execution. Brazil, Australia, Phillipines, France and Ghana also have their citizens listed for imminent execution, a development that has caused diplomatic tensions for Indonesia with several countries. Although no date has been given for their execution, Australian Andrew Chan (31), his country man, Myuran Sukumaran (33), Agbaje Salami, and Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (30) from the Philippines were yesterday moved to Nusakambangan, a high security prison island where executions are conducted. According to Indonesia’s Attorney General, Muhammad Prasetyo, preparations have been concluded at the execution site. Nwolise and Oyatanze, who were nabbed running drugs, while in prison, and the citizens of Brazil, France, Ghana and Indonesia would be executed on the prison island of Java. All executions will be carried out simultaneously by firing squad. Amnesty International has continued to appeal for a moratorium on the death sentence in Indonesia where six, including two Nigerians were executed in January this year. 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. Attempts to reach Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, proved abortive as his mobile phone rang unanswered. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, has maintained that Nigeria would continue to seek clemency for all its nationals on death row in Indonesia and other countries. He told THISDAY following the executions of Mr. Daniel Enemuo and Mr. Solomon Chibuike Okafor in January that Nigeria would continue to plead for clemency for its 12 nationals on death row in Indonesia. “This is why in our interactions abroad, we have entered into different kinds of legal frameworks, legal mutual assistance, exchange of prisoners and so many of such co-operations to try and protect our citizens. It is in that context that whenever we have what just happened in Indonesia, the responsibility of government is to ensure that such executions do not take place,“ he added. Sheni also appealed to Nigerians to obey the laws of foreign countries at all times http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/again-two-nigerians-eight-others-face-execution-in-indonesia/203362/