The three Nigerians are Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39), Okwudili Oyatanze (40), and Spanish born Nigerian Raheem Agbaje Salami (45). They are facing execution alongside six other foreign nationals for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities.
Indonesian president, Joko Widodo,
rejected pleas for clemency, saying the country is suffering a drug
emergency and already, Indonesia’s attorney-general, Muhammad Prasetyo, says preparations have been concluded at the execution site were they are to face a firing squad.
It is unclear when the execution will take place, but yesterday, Australian Andrew Chan (31), his country man, Myuran Sukumaran (33), Ag
Other countries with nationals to be executed are Brazil, France and Ghana.
At the meeting in the presidential villa where Indonesian ambassador Purwanto submitted
his letter of credence, President Jonathan pleaded with the Indonesians
for clemency for the Nigerians who were nabbed running drugs, while in
prison.
According to a source at the presidential villa who spoke anonymously because he is not authorised to
speak on the matter: “The president met with the Indonesian delegation
and was quite persuasive in making the case that a moratorium be placed
on the execution of the Nigerians on death row.”
The
source however said that the government is not coming out to make
statements or make a show about its efforts in trying to ensure that the
lives of the Nigerian citizens are spared because “in this political
season, if anything goes wrong during the negotiations, opponents of the
president would not consider the efforts put in and will simply make a
meal out of the issue.”
Other
countries, and even Amnesty International, have been pleading with the
Indonesian government to not go ahead with the planned execution. Brazil
postponed accepting the credentials of Indonesia’s newly designated
envoy in protest, while Australia called for a ‘reciprocation’ of the $1
billion 2004 tsunami aid package by sparing the lives of its citizens.