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Nigeria Seeks Death Sentence Reversal For Citizens In Indonesia

The Nigerian government is making frantic efforts to convince  the Indonesian authorities to convert the death sentence of three Nigerians accused of drug trafficking to life sentence. … Continue reading Nigeria Seeks Death Sentence Reversal For Citizens In Indonesia


Empty prisonThe Nigerian government is making frantic efforts to convince  the Indonesian authorities to convert the death sentence of three Nigerians accused of drug trafficking to life sentence.

In a meeting between the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni and the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria on Monday, Ambassador Sheni also appealed that the ongoing negotiations on the exchange of prisoners between both countries should be hastened.

He said that hastening the process would enable Nigerian prisoners in Indonesia have the top option of serving their sentences at home.

Nigeria is seeking the sentence conversion of the Nigerians, especially for Raheem Agbaje Salami, 45, whose execution is due to be carried out at an isolated Island in Indonesia.

Nigerians On Death Row

The chances of the death sentence being converted, however, appears bleak, with an Indonesian court’s rejection of Nigerian death row inmate’s legal challenge.

Lawyers for a Nigerian, whose alias is Raheem Agbaje Salami, appealed against President Joko widodo’s rejection of his clemency plea in the administrative court on Sunday.

The court, however, dismissed his appeal on the grounds that it did not have jurisdiction over presidential decisions.

Mr Salami’s lawyer, Utomo Karim, however, said he would appeal.

He will also seek a judicial review for the Nigerian in the Surabaya district court on Wednesday, on the basis that the entire prosecution of his case was illegal because it was based on the man’s fake identity.

A man purporting to be Raheem Agbaje Salami, from the southern Spanish city of Cordova, was arrested in 1998 smuggling 5.3 kilograms of heroin into Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city.

However, Raheem’s passport was false. His real name is Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, a Nigerian national. Although he was arrested 17 years ago, Indonesian authorities continue to use the fake name in prison on Nusakambangan.

Another Nigerian on death row is Okwudili Ayontanze, a gospel singer, who plays music with prison guards and had released albums from his Nusakambangan prison.

The third, Silvester Obiekwe, is reported to have angered authorities by allegedly continuing to run a drug syndicate from behind bars.

The Indonesia Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto said the death sentence in Indonesia is a rigorous, strict and transparent process that goes through all their levels of court, after Presidential clemency is often denied.

The Ambassador, however, promised to present the appeal before his country’s government.