For peddling drugs from prison, another Nigerian sentenced to death in Indonesia

Simon Ezeaputa, a Nigerian resident in Indonesia, has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

According to local media, a district court in Tangerang, near Jakarta, found Ezeaputa guilty of controlling a drug transaction from his prison cell, where he was serving a 20-year jail term for drug offences.

Ezeaputa was said to have been involved in a transaction of 350 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

With the latest development, more than 60 people are on death row in Indonesia for drug offences.

The report said Indonesia executed six drug convicts in January and was preparing to put to death another 10 death-row inmates.

It said these include two Australians who have been the subject of a diplomatic row between Jakarta and Canberra.

Meanwhile, the Amnesty International said in its annual report on the death penalty worldwide released on Wednesday that “Indonesia stood out for all the wrong reasons”.

Papang Hidayat, head, Amnesty researcher, Indonesia, said the death penalty was always a human rights violation.

He said there were many issues in Indonesia, in particular fair trial concerns, that make death sentences more complicated.

Hidayat said investigations by human rights groups have found that individuals sentenced to death have been tortured and forced to sign police investigation reports.

Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan tried to negotiate the release of some Nigerians on death row in the country.