Indonesian Envoy Defends Execution Of 4 Nigerians

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto, has affirmed that the execution of four Nigerians and other nationals convicted on drug offences in the Asian country was done strictly according to the legal proceedings. S

Speaking to newsmen after he was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for explanation over the incident, the envoy stressed that “There was nothing we could do for those four Nigerians because every legal process was completed and only then did the government of Indonesia implemented the decision of the court.”

He said the case had been on for ten years and Indonesia needed to make sure adequate opportunity was given to the convicts within the bounds of the law, stressing that his government suspended the moratorium on death penalty due to the gravity and dangerous impact of the drugs on their country.

He disclosed that Indonesia suffered from the harsh reality of the drug trafficking as about 4.5 million of their citizens, especially the youth, were affected by narcotics, adding that only about 1.8 million of them had been rehabilitated.

He further said that between 33 and 50 victims of the drugs died every month, describing it as unfortunate.

On the issue of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement between both countries, Mr. Purwanto said, “Actually Indonesia will be happy to do that, but unfortunately we do not have the legal basis, we have to wait for a new legislation in Indonesia. But then we have to convince our members of parliament to do that.”

Reacting to the incident, the undersecretary economic and consular affairs department of the  minstry, Ambassador Bokunolu Onemola,  said that irrespective of the fact that Nigeria had protested the execution on the basis of the subsisting friendly relations between both countries, Nigerians must desist from drug trafficking in the countries where capital punishment was in force.

“One message I would like to convey to my compatriots is that they should know that drug offences in Indonesia attract capital punishment and our appeal is that they should avoid going to these countries to commit these offences because we cannot change their laws. They are a sovereign nation, we can only appeal to them, but our citizens should know this and desist from drug trafficking,” he said.

He added that Nigeria would not recall its ambassador to Indonesia over the executions.

Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, 50, Martin Anderson, 50, Okwudili Oyatanze, 41, and Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, 47, were the four Nigerians executed on Tuesday in Indonesia.