One of the four Nigerians who will be executed in Indonesia this week
Four Nigerians along with other foreigners will be executed by the
Indonesian government for drug related offences. This is coming despite
protests by rights groups condemning the government's decision to
execute the individuals this week.
Fourteen prisoners are listed for execution, among them four
Nigerian nationals, including Humphrey Ejike Jefferson and Michael Tutus
Igwe, a Pakistani, one Indonesian woman, a Chinese, and Taiwanese
nationals.
AFP reports that the group of drug convicts will face firing squad
in Indonesia this week, authorities in the country said. Syed Zahid
Raza, the deputy Pakistani ambassador in Jakarta, told AFP the convicts,
who include a Pakistani, could be executed around midnight Friday after
officials signalled the start of a 72-hour notice period at a meeting
with diplomats.
Nationals from Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Zimbabwe are expected
to be executed alongside Indonesians. Officials say no Europeans or
Australians will be included in the third round of executions under
President Joko Widodo.
According to Samantha Hawley, Indonesia bureau chief and former
Southeast Asia corro Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that the
Nigerian embassy has been told to visit 4 nationals on death row in
Cilacap tomorrow morning.
However, Rights groups have also called on Indonesia to halt the
planned executions, citing worries about irregularities with some
convictions.
In a statement, Amnesty International urged “the country’s
authorities to halt all executions and to take immediate steps to ensure
that the cases of all those under sentence of death are reviewed by an
independent and impartial body”.
Another Nigerian in Indonesia to be executed this week
An AFP report revealed that authorities have been making
preparations, with death row drug convicts transferred to Nusakambangan
prison island, where Indonesia puts convicts to death, and 14 prisoners
reportedly placed in isolation, an usual step before executions.
About 1,500 police were being deployed around Cilacap, the town
closest to Nusakambangan, visitors have been barred for a week and
Muslim and Christian spiritual counsellors were seen crossing to the
island.
Raza said Indonesian officials had informed diplomats from several
countries and lawyers of the notice period at Tuesday’s meeting in
Cilacap.
He said officials did not mention a precise date or time for the executions but added: “It might be Friday at midnight.”
It is a legal requirement in Indonesia to give a minimum notice
period of 72 hours before executions. Authorities typically carry out
executions just after midnight following the end of the notice period.
The attorney general’s office, which oversees executions, would not confirm any details but spokesman Mohammad Rum said: “The time is approaching.”
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