Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the World Alliance Against Terrorism, Violence and Inhuman Treatment have appealed to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to save 14 Nigerians on death row in Indonesia.
The human rights groups, in their separate petitions, forwarded to the National Assembly, urged the Presidency to wade in the matter in order to ensure the release of those Nigerians.
President of WAATVIT, Mr. Anthony Orunkoya, a legal practitioner, while addressing reporters in Akure on Saturday, said, “Our national pride as a nation will be destroyed if the Federal Government closes its eyes on the plights of the 14 Nigerians.”
Orunkoya noted that apart from the 14 condemned prisoners, 31 other Nigerians were serving various jail terms in Indonesia for various offences, including drug trafficking.
He stated that 17 Nigerians were initially condemned to death but that two of them, Messrs Samuel Okoye and Hassan Nwolisa, were executed on June 28, 2008, while one Augustine Ogbonna, died in mysterious circumstances in custody in September, 2008.
The 14 others awaiting death by execution, according to him, are Martins Anderson alias ‘Bello’ from Odigbo Local Government of Ondo State; Kingsley Okonkwo from Onitsha in Anambra State; Obinna Nwajagu, a native of Ufuma in Orumba North Local Government of Anambra State and Sylvester Nwolisa from Idemmili, Anambra State.
Others are Humphery Ejike, a native of Isukwuato in Abia State; Usman from Ihiala in Anambra State; Emmanuel Ihenjirika from Ebonyi State; Daniel Enemuo from Udi in Enugu State; Michael Titus, Okwudili Ayataeze, Oziazi Sibamda all from Idemmili in Anambra state.
The rest are Eugene Apeh, a native of Nsukka in Enugu State; Fredrick Luther and Denis Anumona both from Anambra State.
Orunkoya said the rights groups had forwarded a series of petitions to the National Assembly and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, seeking the intervention of the Federal Government on the matter.
Mr. Mike Akubuwe of the CDHR urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the matter by negotiating with Indonesia to release the people on humanitarian grounds irrespective of their offences.
According to him, by virtue of the international convention on human rights, every person is entitled to his or her life and dignity of human persons.
He said, “Nigeria and Indonesia being members of the international convention must respect the rights.”
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