Nigerian man executed in Singapore for drug crime (Photo)
Singapore on Friday executed one Chijioke Stephen Obioha, convicted of
drug trafficking, after the country’s apex court rejected his final
appeal.
Obioha was arrested on April 9, 2007 with more than 2.6 kilograms of
cannabis, surpassing the statutory amount of 500 grams presumed as drug
trafficking in Singapore.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and
Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who described the execution as
heartbreaking, reiterated her appeal to Nigerians to avoid drug peddling
in their host countries as laws of countries, whether acceptable or
not, will be difficult to influence.
She said, “While we regret the death sentence passed on the Nigerian, we
once again appeal to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug trafficking
with most countries especially in Asia declaring zero tolerance for drug
trafficking.
Ravi MRavi, an activist with Eugene Thuraisingam, a legal firm in
Singapore, who posted the execution on his Facebook wall said it took
place around 6am.
He wrote, “This morning, at 6am, the execution of Chijioke Stephen
Obioha took place. I am not even sure if his family from Nigeria were
able to attend. Soon it will be all forgotten together with Chijioke’s
name, but for the many of us who fight and campaign to eradicate this
barbaric practice of death by hanging, and for those of us who challenge
the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking in Singapore, our work
will go on. And it must.
“I’m currently arranging with the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry (RCPM)
to claim the body of Chijioke from the Singapore Prisons Service for a
proper funeral in accordance with his religious beliefs.The funeral will
take place either today or tomorrow depending on how soon the SPS could
release the body.”