ABUJA - Senate yesterday–started a–last minute attempt to save the lives of 18 Nigerians on death row in the Republic of Indonesia for drug related offences when it appealed to that country’s government to temper justice with mercy.
Fifty Nigerians resident in Indonesia were said to have been convicted for drug peddling out of which 18 are to face capital punishment and would have been executed in September 2008 but for the Ramadan - Moslem fasting period.
The upper chamber’s plea for leniency to the Indonesian authorities followed an extensive debate of a motion brought on their behalf by Senator Uche Chukwumerije (Abia North).
Titled “Plight of Nigerians in Indonesian prisons”, Senator Chukwumerije urged the Senate to investigate the circumstances of their trial.
He informed his colleagues that “the prisoners suffer many indignities including deaths of inmates as a result of inadequate medical care and harsh prison conditions, the latest of which is the death of Augustine Ogbonna on September 9, 2008.”
Consequently, the Senators mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to liaise with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice to investigate the plight of Nigerians in Indonesian prisons.
Senate’s concern stems from information that over 50 Nigerians currently in Indonesian Prisons out of which 18 were tried and sentenced to death for alleged drug related offences; without legal representation and in a language they did not understand.
Senator James Manager who seconded the motion noted that the motion was not about defending somebody who is guilty of an offence but about following internationally laid down procedure.
The Senate Deputy leader, Senator Victor Udoma-Ebga (PDP, Cross River) on his part noted that there was little the Senate could do to help the convicts as they were tried in accordance with the domestic laws of their host country.
He said the Senate or the Nigerian government could only raise objection if it was discovered that their trials did not meet with international standard.
“When you go to any country, you become subject to the laws of that country. And if that country has a death penalty for certain category of offences, you must make sure that if you want to avoid the death penalty, you live within the ambit of their laws” Ndoma-Egba stressed.
Senator Mujitabba Mohammed (PDP, Jigawa South-West) who spoke in favour of the motion said the issue of the plight of Nigerians in foreign jails deserved the attention and drew attention of his colleagues to a United Nations resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty.
Senator Thompson Sekibo said what was being done should not give the wrong impression that Nigerians were supporting criminality.
He said Nigerians needed to be educated on the need to abide by the laws of their host countries.
Senator Joy Emodi said she supported the motion with mixed feelings because of consequences of the drug trade on the sanity and image of Nigerians at home and abroad.
She lamented that drug barons prey on the ignorance of young men and women to use them as drug couriers and called for proper enlightenment for Nigerians traveling abroad.
Senator Ayo Arise however differed.
He asked that the mover of the motion withdraw it because it would amount to a waste of the time of the Senate to discuss it.
At a point, the President of the Senate
David Mark noted that “the summary of the discussion so far is that, we are not defending criminality and we also would need to find out more details before we can go further.”
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