Here are the photos and profiles of the 4 Nigerians who are to be executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, 47, Nigeria – Smuggling Heroin
Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise’s story, as his wife tells it, is similar
to those of other Nigerians on Indonesia’s death row for drug
trafficking. Unemployed in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, he was lured
to Pakistan by fellow Nigerians on the promise of a job with good wages.
to those of other Nigerians on Indonesia’s death row for drug
trafficking. Unemployed in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, he was lured
to Pakistan by fellow Nigerians on the promise of a job with good wages.
But
once in Pakistan, instead of a job, he got an offer to swallow some
capsules – filled with goat horn powder, his wife, Fatimah Farwin, says
he was told – and fly to Indonesia.
once in Pakistan, instead of a job, he got an offer to swallow some
capsules – filled with goat horn powder, his wife, Fatimah Farwin, says
he was told – and fly to Indonesia.
“They said they didn’t want
to pay tax on it,” Ms. Fatimah said. “When he arrived at the airport in
Jakarta, the police saw him – I don’t know how – they caught him and
X-rayed him, and they found it and it was drugs.”
to pay tax on it,” Ms. Fatimah said. “When he arrived at the airport in
Jakarta, the police saw him – I don’t know how – they caught him and
X-rayed him, and they found it and it was drugs.”
Arrested in
2001, Mr. Nwolise was convicted the following year of bringing 2.6
pounds of heroin into the country, and was sentenced to death.
2001, Mr. Nwolise was convicted the following year of bringing 2.6
pounds of heroin into the country, and was sentenced to death.
During
his trial, according to Ms. Fatimah, Mr. Nwolise had no translator, and
his Indonesian lawyer could barely communicate with him. She said that a
judge, through an intermediary, offered to sentence him to prison
rather than death if he paid a bribe of 200 million rupiah, worth about
$22,000 at the time.
his trial, according to Ms. Fatimah, Mr. Nwolise had no translator, and
his Indonesian lawyer could barely communicate with him. She said that a
judge, through an intermediary, offered to sentence him to prison
rather than death if he paid a bribe of 200 million rupiah, worth about
$22,000 at the time.
“But he was just a poor courier. He didn’t have any money,” Ms. Fatimah said.
Ms.
Fatimah, who is Indonesian, met Mr. Nwolise in prison in 2007, when she
was accompanying a friend who was visiting another inmate. The two
married later that year; they have since had two children, now 5 and 3,
but she has not brought them to see him since they were infants. She has
told them that their father is working in an office in another country.
Fatimah, who is Indonesian, met Mr. Nwolise in prison in 2007, when she
was accompanying a friend who was visiting another inmate. The two
married later that year; they have since had two children, now 5 and 3,
but she has not brought them to see him since they were infants. She has
told them that their father is working in an office in another country.
In
January, the Indonesian police accused Mr. Nwolise of running a drug
syndicate from prison. No charges were brought, but Ms. Fatimah, who
says emphatically that her husband is innocent of the accusation,
believes it resulted in his being placed in the group of inmates now
facing imminent execution.
January, the Indonesian police accused Mr. Nwolise of running a drug
syndicate from prison. No charges were brought, but Ms. Fatimah, who
says emphatically that her husband is innocent of the accusation,
believes it resulted in his being placed in the group of inmates now
facing imminent execution.
“Some woman on the outside blamed
him,” Ms. Fatimah said, referring to a police informant, “but when they
came to his cell, they never found anything – never, never, never. He
never had a trial and next thing, they wanted to execute him.”
him,” Ms. Fatimah said, referring to a police informant, “but when they
came to his cell, they never found anything – never, never, never. He
never had a trial and next thing, they wanted to execute him.”
Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, 50, Nigeria – Smuggling Heroin
Jamiu Owolabi Abashin was living on the streets of Bangkok in 1998
when a fellow African living there took pity on him and brought him
home. Shortly thereafter, according to Mr. Abashin, his new friend asked
whether he wanted a quick-paying job, in which he would get $400 for
bringing a package of clothing to the friend’s wife in Surabaya,
Indonesia, where she sold used shirts and pants.
when a fellow African living there took pity on him and brought him
home. Shortly thereafter, according to Mr. Abashin, his new friend asked
whether he wanted a quick-paying job, in which he would get $400 for
bringing a package of clothing to the friend’s wife in Surabaya,
Indonesia, where she sold used shirts and pants.
Mr. Abashin
readily agreed, but soon wished he hadn’t: The package contained nearly
12 pounds of heroin, and he was arrested after landing at Surabaya’s
airport. Mr. Abashin, who was traveling on a false Spanish passport,
contended he was duped.
readily agreed, but soon wished he hadn’t: The package contained nearly
12 pounds of heroin, and he was arrested after landing at Surabaya’s
airport. Mr. Abashin, who was traveling on a false Spanish passport,
contended he was duped.
He was convicted in 1999 and sentenced to
life in prison, which was reduced to 20 years on appeal. State
prosecutors challenged the sentence reduction before the Indonesian
Supreme Court, which in 2006 sentenced Mr. Abashin to death.
life in prison, which was reduced to 20 years on appeal. State
prosecutors challenged the sentence reduction before the Indonesian
Supreme Court, which in 2006 sentenced Mr. Abashin to death.
In a request for presidential clemency in 2008, he admitted knowingly smuggling the drugs. The request was denied in January.
The
Indonesian government refers to him as Raheem Agbaje Salami, the name
on the fake Spanish passport he was using when he was arrested.
Indonesian government refers to him as Raheem Agbaje Salami, the name
on the fake Spanish passport he was using when he was arrested.
Ursa
Supit, an Indonesian legal activist who is advocating on Mr. Abashin’s
behalf, says that because he had no money, he was assigned a state
lawyer for his trial and had no legal counsel when he appealed to the
Supreme Court.
Supit, an Indonesian legal activist who is advocating on Mr. Abashin’s
behalf, says that because he had no money, he was assigned a state
lawyer for his trial and had no legal counsel when he appealed to the
Supreme Court.
Mr. Abashin, who now has a lawyer, is challenging Mr. Joko’s rejection of his clemency request.
“He has been inside now for 17 years, and he has never broken a rule
inside,” Ms. Supit said. “And now they are going to execute him. He’s
never had money for lawyers. It’s not fair.”
“He has been inside now for 17 years, and he has never broken a rule
inside,” Ms. Supit said. “And now they are going to execute him. He’s
never had money for lawyers. It’s not fair.”
Okwudili Oyatanze, 41, Nigeria – Smuggling heroin
The YouTube clip
shows what seems to be a typical Sunday religious service at a small
church. A young African man, accompanied by an Asian guitarist, sings a
heartfelt gospel song as the audience sings along. But the camera
does not show the security guards, iron bars and barbed wire fences that
would have indicated this was no ordinary place. The singer, Okwudili
Oyatanze, was giving his regular performance at a penitentiary outside
the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
shows what seems to be a typical Sunday religious service at a small
church. A young African man, accompanied by an Asian guitarist, sings a
heartfelt gospel song as the audience sings along. But the camera
does not show the security guards, iron bars and barbed wire fences that
would have indicated this was no ordinary place. The singer, Okwudili
Oyatanze, was giving his regular performance at a penitentiary outside
the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Known in Indonesia’s penal system
as “The Death Row Gospel Singer,” Mr. Oyatanze, 41, was arrested in
2001 while trying to smuggle 5.5 pounds of heroin through Jakarta’s
international airport, in his stomach, after arriving on a flight from
Pakistan. He was convicted the following year and sentenced to death.
as “The Death Row Gospel Singer,” Mr. Oyatanze, 41, was arrested in
2001 while trying to smuggle 5.5 pounds of heroin through Jakarta’s
international airport, in his stomach, after arriving on a flight from
Pakistan. He was convicted the following year and sentenced to death.
Mr.
Oyatanze has made the most of his incarceration, writing more than 70
songs and recording multiple albums behind bars. He has performed with
prison guards as well as fellow inmates.
Oyatanze has made the most of his incarceration, writing more than 70
songs and recording multiple albums behind bars. He has performed with
prison guards as well as fellow inmates.
In the video, shot in
2008, Mr. Oyatanze sang his song “God You Know,” which was also the name
of an album he released that year.
2008, Mr. Oyatanze sang his song “God You Know,” which was also the name
of an album he released that year.
“He has turned his life around
in jail,” said the Rev. Charles Burrows, a Catholic priest from Ireland
who now lives in Indonesia and is offering religious counseling to Mr.
Oyatanze as he awaits his execution.
in jail,” said the Rev. Charles Burrows, a Catholic priest from Ireland
who now lives in Indonesia and is offering religious counseling to Mr.
Oyatanze as he awaits his execution.
Raised in outheastern Nigeria, Mr. Oyatanze started a
garment business in 1999, traveling to Indonesia to buy clothing and
resell it in Nigeria. The business collapsed, and Mr. Oyatanze, heavily
in debt, traveled to Pakistan to try to revive it, at the suggestion of a
fellow Nigerian living there.
garment business in 1999, traveling to Indonesia to buy clothing and
resell it in Nigeria. The business collapsed, and Mr. Oyatanze, heavily
in debt, traveled to Pakistan to try to revive it, at the suggestion of a
fellow Nigerian living there.
The plan involved swallowing
capsules of heroin before boarding a flight to Jakarta. “There was a
chance to earn some easy money, so he became a courier,” Mr. Burrows
said.
capsules of heroin before boarding a flight to Jakarta. “There was a
chance to earn some easy money, so he became a courier,” Mr. Burrows
said.
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