Three Nigerians and five other members of the Bali Nine prisoners being held in Indonesia for drug offences have just been executed on Nusakambangan prison island near Cilacap in Central Java.
Indonesian media say the execution, by firing squad, took place at 00:30 local time, which translates to 6:30pm Nigerian time.
The Nigerians involved were Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise (pictured), Raheem Agbaje Salami and Okwudili Oyatanze.
Five others killed were Indonesian Zainal Abidin, Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, and Ghanaian Martin Anderson.
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However, Mary Jane Veloso, the only woman among the nine, was spared at the last hour after a woman reported to have tricked her into the crime turned herself in to the police in the Philippines.
“We’ve carried out the executions,” The Jakarta Post quoted an official of the Attorney-General’s Office (AGO) as saying.
“The executions were carried out at 12:30 a.m.,” Suhendro Putro, funeral director with the Javanese Christian Church (GKJ) in Cilacap, said in a short message service.
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Tony Spontana, spokesman of the AGO, said the government had agreed to the final requests fielded by two Australian death-row convicts for their bodies to be flown to Australia for burial.
A Cilacap Police officer said that after the executions, prayers were said for each person according to their respective religions.
“The executions went well, without any disruptions,” he said.
On January 18 when Indonesia carried out its last execution of drug criminals, two Nigerians – Solomon Chibuike Okafor (Alias Namaona Denils) and Daniels Enemuo (Alias Diarrassoube Mamadou) – were among the six killed.
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Chan, one of two Australians executed on Tuesday, married his girlfriend at a ceremony at the Nusakambangan Prison Island on Monday – just a day before he was scheduled to face the firing squad.
The 31-year-old married Indonesian pastor Febyanti Herewila, whom he met several years ago when she began counselling inmates at a prison on the resort Island of Bali, where he was held before being transferred to Nusakambangan.
“They have had a celebration inside the prison this afternoon, with close family and friends,” his brother, Michael, said afterwards.
“It was an enjoyable moment. We would just like to celebrate that with him tomorrow as well. It’s tough times, but happy times at the same time. So hopefully the president will still show some compassion, some mercy so these two young people can carry on with their lives.”
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Indonesia has strict drug laws that prescribe death penalty for anyone found culpable, regardless of his/her nationality.
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11 comments
It pained my heart toll know that these people had to die. Oh my God it depresses my heart that we have to loose three Nigerians. If our economy is good and our leaders are responsible our young men and women would not be having all these experiences. God give us leaders who will be human enough to fear God and understand that the resources they are stealing has been made to be enough to provide for every Nigerian by our merciful God and creator. They made living so difficult to Nigerians that we are all scattered all over the world looking for survivals. No electricity, no good roads, no intrastructures to make things convenient, students graduated and no jobs for them. God help us with caring leaders who will change the story of Nigeria, I pray in Jesus Bane, Anen.
Is Australian economy not good too? Pls this one is not govt’s fault I beg. It’s greed! What an excuse!
Little do you know drug-pushers in many cases are stinkingly rich. Greed is really worrying them.
It’s greed! Pure and simple.
How can u know the stringent punishment being meted out to people when caught and still go ahead to peddle drugs?
No! I’ve run out of pity because you here them getting caught, again and again!
Don’t blame the government for every woe please! These individuals have themselves to blame!
Asia as a whole is a very wicked continent and very racist in the appliclation of their anti drug laws especially the nigerian offenders throughout all the asian countries.Australia which had now recalled it’s ambassdor had been having diplomatic rows with indonesia for a long time.Indonesia never liked their australian neighbours.The biggest problem that we have here in Nigeria is total ignorance of the outside world.We are consumed with ethnic hatred and rivalries always fighting one another.We would always remain nigerians no matter the tribe we came from.The outside world including SA and Indonesia sees us as Nigerians and does not understand our tribal differences.United we stand as a nation and divided we fall.We must understand who our outside enemies and why Nigeria is so unpopular today especially in most asian countries.Asians especially the Chineese people are the biggest drug dealers are the biggest drug dealers in the world,even in Nigeria too.We all know about the incessant arrests of asian drug traffickers in Nigeria and how they always bribed their way out with huge sums of money from our law enforcements.I have never heard that any of their drug traffickers arrested in Nigeria were executed by firing squad.It is about time that our Presidents here should learn about how different countries of the world treats our citizens over different offences,especially drug offences and treat their citizens here exactly the same way here in Nigeria over the same offences .That way all these countries that had not been respecting us would start respecting us as a nation.I trust that Gmb would root out bribery and corruption in Nigeria and any public officer caught taking bribes especially from Asian drug traffickers in Nigeria would be sacked immediately with a long jail sentence.Let their be introduction of death sentence for every Asian drug offender arrested in Nigeria,and prison sentence for those countries that prison Nigerian drug offenders.Every country in the in the world drug,including Australia who fought so hard to save it’s two citizens from being executed in a foreign country because of her dignity.When their efforts failed,the first thing Australia did was to recall it’s ambassador back from Indonesia inorder not to loose it’s honour as Nigeria had totally lost her’s in the world today.Whenever we wake up globally as Nigerians,it is our morning to restore our honour and dignity in the eyes of the world as Nigerians.No time is better than now.This would also our economic growth.God bless Nigeria!!!
Buhairi saw the evil of indiscipline as the basis of corruption and drug trafficking 30 years ago but his friend thought otherwise and overthrew him. 30 years down the road,we are caught in the same web. Who says Buhari is not a visionary. Some people want to the press to bring him down this time. Time will tell. Let it not be that after another 30 years, Nigeria will be where it is now
I feel you Remi, however, there are businesses in Nigeria that you don’t need government you just start small and grow, every one is going back to farming. This people don’t want to work, they wanted quick wealth at all costs, I also noticed Nigerians celebrate thieves that spend money on luxury goods not asking questions? This people are finding themselves in the house of legislators now, past Governors were part of these crew also. May God help us IJMN. Amen.
Well it is unfortunate that they were eventually executed. We must learn how to obey laws especially laws of other foreign countries. If they tell you drug peddling is against their laws and death is the penalty why engage in it? What killed them is greed not the Indonesian Government. May their souls rest in Peace.
I agree totally with Robertson. As Nigerians we do not seem to appreciate the gift of our Nation. We represent so many things to so many people. Yes, whatever the benefits of being with Indonesia as a nation cannot compare with even just one lost Nigerian life, however criminal he may be. The acts of wickedness with which the Asian world/middle east is undisputably becoming known for is alarming. Where is the much show of piety that the rest of us must bow to? The Federal Govt of Nigeria must find a way of expressing its disapproval and severe relations now. How many more Nigerians must die before we know that Indonesia and such other countries are enemy nations? I disagree that is for lack of jobs that people turn to such trades!!! Just take a look around every nation, no matter how wealthy, there are people who for whatever reason are poor. Do poor people actually deal in drugs?
I pray, who are the consumers of these drugs in Indonesia? What is their own sanctions? Death too?
Indonesia seem to know nothing about the economics law of demand and supply. Shame on them forever for barbarism in the 21st century. We should fear only He who can kill both the body and soul in hell.
And finally, Nigerians must change our values to those ones that will give us both joy and peace here and the hereafter.
You making sense gloryland
Blame South Africa again that our fellow brothers are dealing drugs. I beg!