Nigerians in Indonesia: 59 killed,16 face death,mass execution looms in August

16 face death, mass execution looms in August
…As police intimidation, torture, extortion reign

THIS definitely is not the best of times for Nigerians in Asia, especially Indonesia. With the heavy clampdown on people carrying green passports, sources squealed to National Daily that in the past three weeks, majority Nigerians have been apprehensive and on the verge of quitting the region for good. The latest move is not unconnected with the shabby way that migrants are being treated by the law enforcement agents, who for their racial biases implicate them in sundry criminal activities that often see Nigerians being jailed, if not slated for execution.


A dependable source told the newspaper that the latest decision by the authorities of Indonesia to execute more Nigerians in August 2010 has indeed made the place very uninhabitable for these citizens who went to the country in search of greener pastures.
Already some human rights groups are reportedly rising to seek reprieve for the Nigerians.

An Onitsha, Anambra State-based human rights lawyer, Chukwuemeka Eze has already petitioned the authorities, alerting on the need to wade into the case of these Nigerians so condemned.

In his petition to Nigerian authorities, Eze harped that imminent steps need to be taken before they are executed, as the Indonesian government has decided to snuff life out of the convicts in the next two months.

According to Eze, "I have it on good and reliable authority that officials of Indonesian government who opened discussions with the Nigerian delegation are now expressing disappointment over an apparent display of unseriousness on the part of Nigerian government over the diplomatic move already initiated by Nigerian government officials."

The human rights lawyer recalled that his earlier petition to the Presidency, National Assembly and the Foreign Affairs Ministry in October, 2008 in respect of Nigerians on death row and others serving various jail terms in Indonesia had attracted reactions from Senator Uche Chukwumerije, who moved a motion on the floor of the Senate to that effect.

National Daily gathered that his earlier petition had attracted the attention of the Foreign Affairs minister who sent a high powered delegation to Indonesia to mediate on behalf of the convicts and other prisoners, numbering 50, serving various jail terms in Indonesia, with the minister himself as part of the delegation.

The Nigerian delegation had returned with a strong hope of change of heart by the Indonesian authorities, which prompted Abike Dabiri-Erewa to grant a press interview where she assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was committed to doing everything possible to address the plight of those citizens,. The lawyer said  that the Senate President also wrote him personally, promising that the issue would be addressed, just as Senator Chukwumerije did. But the action has tarried in coming.

The newspaper learnt that those on death row in Indonesia are: Kingsley Okonkwo, Michael Titus Igwe (Real name-Izuchukwu F. Ezimoha), Uchenna Cajethan Onyenworo, Ekperedike S. Olekama, Adam Wilson (real name-Emmanuel Okari), Hillary K. Chimezie, Eugene Ape and Humphery Ejike.

Others are: Okwudili Ayotaeze, Obinna Nwajiagu, Daniel Enemuo, Fredrick Lutter (Real name-Benjamin Obiora), Sylvester Nwaolisa, Gabriel Nnadi, Dennis Anumona and Ikenna Ezenwune. But  Stephen Rashid, Joseph Ndaba, Ken Michael and Obinna George we learnt are currently serving life imprisonment.

These Nigerian convicts, languishing in Nusakambagan Island prisons in Jarkata and other parts of Indonesia, were arrested shortly on arrival to the country. These Nigerians who did not understand the Indonesian language used in their trials, were sentenced to death, without allowing them to take plea or have fair representation from legal practitioners.

A few months ago National Daily had ran a story on the plight of Nigerians in Indonesian jail, following an e-mail, smuggled out of one of the prisons in Jarkarta.

The report alleged that some of these Nigerians were just being haunted over phantom charges of drug-peddling which they often know nothing about. National Daily scooped that the greatest nightmares of Nigerians in Jakarta are men of the Polda Metro Jaya Jarkata, a notable police formation in the city who are fond of threatening breed of immigrants with death. The source gave the names of the police officers who are notable for snuffing life out of Nigerians as Pak Johnny Hendra, Pak Surjadi and Pak Sikit.The method of operation, though extra-judicial, the newspaper gathered, has sent shivers down the spines of some Nigerians who are pursuing legitimate business in the country. According to the source, once a Nigerian is seen with huge amount of money, the police in the city would just conclude that the individual is a drug baron.

“The moment they see you doing well, they conclude that you get money through drug, and they will begin to plan for the person. And any little opportunity they get, they would raid the person. These people are fond of threatening Nigerians with death at the police stations. They even pasted pictures of Nigerians whom they have killed on the wall of the Polda Metro Jaya. The moment they bring someone to the place, they will show the person the pictures of the dead Nigerians, which they have killed already, and ask the person to agree to whatever charges they are levelling against him, if he does not want to end up like those people. Up to 59 Nigerians are killed by these lawless policemen on yearly basis for doing nothing other than that they are carrying Nigerian passports,” the source alleged.

Some of the Nigerians, who have been extra-judicially executed, according to our source, include among many others: Cyril Chinedu, Anayao Jeff, Vincent Obi, Ugochukwu Franklin, Tony Idowu, Fatai Idris Hassan, Iheanyi Okesiome and Dennis Iweje.

The source also alleged that in some cases the police would ask a Nigerian so arrested to say his last prayer, before he would be shot. This, the newspaper gathered, is meant to scare the living daylights out of the Nigerian.

“At times, they will give any Nigerian arrested an option of agreeing that he carried more than 100g of cocaine, if he does not want to be tortured. Some Nigerians have even agreed to play along in order to avoid being tortured because the way they torture people is unimaginable. On several occasions they will tell you that they do not like Nigerians. They will boast that they do not bother other nationals but Nigerians, and that they will do a lot to make sure that Nigerians stay in their country,” the source said.

Indonesia which predominantly Moslems population, is also said to be averse to other religious inclinations, and this seems to be played out by members of the police force.

National Daily learnt that on January 20th 2006, eight Nigerians worshippers at Tanah Abai hotel were arrested , after which the police cooked up drug-related charges, which saw them being sentenced to death. At times, when the law tries to take its course, the police are said to go the extra mile to have their way.
For instance, in 2003 three Nigerians were acquitted by a Tangerang court on drug charges, but the police swung into action shortly after they were release by re-arresting them and taking them to another court, where they were sentenced to death by hanging.

“In that matter, the lawyer who was representing the three Nigerians was beaten up for putting up a brilliant defence. In this city, their police behave like outlaws. Most times, they have their way with the justice system of the country,” the source alleged.

What also baffles Nigerians in Indonesia according to the report is the glaring disparity in punishment meted out to perceived offenders.
The newspaper gathered that anytime an Indonesian is arrested, the police would make him to implicate a Nigerian, so that they can get even with Nigerians. And when such happens, the Indonesian usually escapes with light sentences.

“In July 2004, a certain Nigerian boy, who does not know anything about drugs fell into this kind of trap. The police claimed he was responsible for the 10 grammes of cocaine that was found on an Indonesian, and at the end of the day, they jailed him fifteen years and gave the Indonesian one and half years. In fact, the extent of torture is something else when the police are dealing with Nigerians. They tied their eyes, and took them to one deserted building where they shoot them.”

National Daily also gathered that on so many occasions, Nigerians have been arrested and thrown off high-rise buildings, with the police claiming that they were trying to flee arrest. A case in question, the source alleged is that of one Ikechukwu Molokwu, who two years ago was thrown down from a 20- storey building in Jakarta, after which police claimed he was escaping arrest.

“They do not only do that, they also sometimes drop Nigerians on high tension wires from high rise buildings, so that they could be electrocuted. They will eventually claim that the Nigerian was escaping and died in the process.”

It will be recalled that the plight of Nigerians in Indonesia once led to a demonstration sometime in 2005, when some Nigerian youths marched to the Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria over the death of one Tajudeen, who was so killed in Jakarta.

Nigerians in Indonesia however are optimistic, that with this save our souls (SOS) cry to the President Goodluck Jonathan, his administration would, as a matter of urgent, wade into their plight and save these innocent citizens from perishing.

Very interesting comments my brother, but the truth is that as a nigerian citizen staying in indonesia, i mean spends most of my times off there in indonesia, i dont think you are right in your comments. I has never see any country in the world where people must be executed without a course. Remember also that when the world was created that there was law governing, but when the first human beings disobeyed the law, then there was penalty. Now without addressing to someone here, i know some compatriots here that refused to do other thing even a good payed jobs that was proposed to them but drugs, then what do we want ?. Well, you are right by saying that nigerians are hated not only in indonesia, but what course that ? our fellow nigerians is at the origin of it, stains everywhere we pass with our dirty habbits, counterfeits, money and drug traficking, how do we expect respects from the people that adopted us in their land. It is a lesson, patients pays

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