Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the planned execution a Nigerian, Chijioke Obioha, in Singapore on Friday for drug related offences as heartbreaking.
Dabiri-Erewa said this is happening despite repeated calls for Nigerians to desist from criminal activities such as drug peddling.
In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa said since Singapore is determined to enforce its laws as a deterrent to drug trafficking, which has reduced as a result of its stringent capital punishment, there was nothing that can be done except to continue to appeal.
“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,” Dabiri-Erewa stated.
She 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. Obioha was caught in Singapore trafficking in hard drugs on April 9, 2007 with his execution slated for November 18.
Obioha was arrested with more than 2.6kg of cannabis, surpassing the statutory amount of 500 grams.
Anything higher is presumed as drug trafficking in Singapore.
Amnesty International had called on Singapore to immediately halt Friday’s planned execution of Obioha.
Obioha’s family was informed that his appeal for clemency has been rejected.
Under Singaporean law, when there is a presumption of drug possession and trafficking, the burden of proof shifts from the prosecutor to the defendant.
