Indonesian envoy explains execution of four Nigerians

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto, in a meeting summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday, gave reasons why the country went ahead to execute four Nigerians and other nationals convicted on drug offences on Tuesday. . 

According to him, the execution was in order since it was strictly done according to legal proceedings.

Purwanto said: “There was nothing we could do for those four Nigerians, because every legal process was completed and only then did the government of Indonesia implement the decision of the court.”
 
According to him, the case has been on for 10 years, and Indonesia needed to make sure that 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 drugs on their country.
 
He disclosed that Indonesia suffers from the harsh reality of the drug trafficking as about 4.5 million of their citizens especially the youth, are affected by the narcotics adding that only about 1.8 million of them have been rehabilitated.

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

On the possibility of 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bokunolu Onemola, said although the Federal Government protested the executions on the basis of subsisting friendly relations between both countries, Nigerians should desist from drug trafficking, especially in countries where capital punishment is being implemented.

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 executed on Tuesday in Indonesia.