Nigerian Government Summons Indonesian Envoy Over Execution Of Two Nigerians

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to register Nigeria’s protest over Indonesian Government’s execution of two Nigerians, Solomon Okafor and Daniel Enemuo, by firing squad.

The Nigerians were executed for drug offences at the Island of Nusakambangu in Cilacap, Central Java Province, despite appeals by the Federal Government.

Also executed with them were two women, one each from Indonesia and Vietnam, two Brazilians, and one Dutch national.

A statement on Sunday in Abuja by the Director, Public Communication Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the executions were carried out despite persistent pleas for clemency made by the Federal Government, including the National Assembly.

“The executions had taken place against the grain of the excellent relations that subsist between Nigeria and Indonesia,” the statement noted.

The government expressed its sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and also appealed to Nigerians to desist from drug trafficking which attracts the capital punishment in Indonesia and in many other countries of the world.

The Federal Government said it would continue to engage the Indonesian authorities to negotiate and conclude a Prisoner Transfer Agreement that may enable other convicted Nigerians to return home to serve their prison terms.

“Thus, the Foreign Minister has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to register Nigeria’s protest. It strongly appeals, once again, to the Indonesian authorities to exercise clemency for other 12 Nigerians on the death row in the country,” the statement said.

The drug convicts, Daniel Enemuo, and five other foreigners from Vietnam, Malawi, Brazil and Netherlands were executed in the early hours of Sunday, for drug offences.

The convicts, who were killed by firing squad, were the first people executed under new President Joko Widodo, who took office in October 2014.

He signed off on the executions last month.

Brazil and the Netherlands have since recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia after the country defied their pleas and executed two of their citizens.

Brazilian Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira was convicted of smuggling cocaine into Indonesia in 2004. Dutchman Ang Kiem Soei was arrested eight years ago while Daniel Enemuo, 38, was also arrested in 2004.

The others executed in the Boyolali district in central Java were Namaona Denis from Malawi; Indonesian woman, Rani Andriani, and Vietnamese woman Tran Thi Bich Hanh.

Enemuo popularly known as Diarrssouba, and Namona Denies, were convicted in 2004 and 2001 respectively.

Enemuo was sentenced to death by the Tangerang District Court in September 2004, for attempting to smuggle 1.150 grams of heroin into the country from Pakistan in January 2004, while the 49-year-old Daniel, who was reportedly born in Nigeria but travelled to Indonesia with a Malawian passport, was sentenced by the Bandung High Court in 2001 after being convicted of smuggling 940 grams of heroin at the Seokarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta.

According to his lawyers, Deniel did not understand his trial proceedings and he was not provided with adequate interpretations.

Amnesty International reported that the five convicts were executed on Nusakambangan Island while one of them was executed in Boloyali District, both in Central Java.

AI said: “Death sentences in Indonesia are carried out by firing squad. The prisoner has the choice of standing or sitting and whether to have their eyes covered, by a blindfold or hood. Firing squads are made up of 12 people, three whose rifles are loaded with live ammunition, while the other nine are loaded with blanks.”

The execution was the first under new President Widodo, who had pledged during his election campaign that there would be no clemency for drug offenders, despite pleas from the European Union, the Brazilian government and the Amnesty International.

Rupert Abbott, Amnesty International’s South-east Asia research director, said: “Indonesia’s new government took office on the back of promises to improve respect for human rights but carrying out these executions would be a regressive move.”

EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the executions were deeply regrettable and urged Indonesia to establish a moratorium on the death penalty.

Indonesia resumed executions of drug pushers in 2013 after a five-year gap.

President Widodo has taken a strong stance on the discipline and punishment, not only on drugs but also on corruption and maritime law...Dailyindependent reportage.