Details have emerged on how a Nigerian, Emmanuel Ihejirika, who was convicted and sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking based on mistaken identity, has been released after languishing in prison for years awaiting execution.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), announced Ihejirika’s reprieve in a statement on Friday, September 13.
The statement issued through the commission’s spokesperson, Gabriel Ọdụ, explained that Ihejirika’s release was achieved through the pro bono efforts of Emmanuel Isha Ogebe, a Nigerian lawyer based in Washington, D.C.
Years ago, a Nigerian delegation led by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Ojo Madueke, along with Abike Dabiri-Erewa, then a member of the House of Representatives, and former Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ipinmosho, had visited Indonesian prisons to plead for clemency for 21 Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death.
Four of the convicts were eventually executed, alongside Indonesian and British citizens.
Mr. Ogebe, who had approached Dabiri-Erewa for her intervention, believed that Ihejirika’s case involved mistaken identity and offered his pro bono legal services. He pursued the case to Indonesia’s Supreme Court, ultimately securing Ihejirika’s release.
Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the severe penalties for drug trafficking in Indonesia, urging Nigerians to steer clear of crime. She also praised the Nigerian Charge D’Affaires in Indonesia, Ms. Patricia Alechenu, for her steadfast support throughout the process.
