The Senate on Tuesday distanced itself from calls to
intervene in the plight of 16 Nigerians facing death penalty for drug
trafficking in Indonesia, saying they must face the full brunt of the law.
It also urged the Federal Government
to wash its hands off any attempt to intervene in the matter, as the Senate had
been fully briefed on the matter and the attendant consequences.
Over 300 Nigerians are said to be
serving various jail terms in Indonesian prisons for peddling hard drugs while
16 of them are on death row.
The Senate reached the resolution
after a motion brought by Senator Mathew Nwagwu, who chairs the Senate
Committee on Foreign Affairs, raised the matter concerning the plight of the
Nigerians.
He had argued that the persons
numbering 16, were languishing in Indonesian jails, and called for an
intervention of the government to either reduce or review the cases against
them.
He said, “I have called Minister of
Foreign Affairs and he assured me that he will get in touch with our mission in
Jakarta, although he was of the opinion that most of the issues related to drug
related offences. I wish to suggest that we invite the Minister of Foreign
Affairs to address the Senate on what is happening and what can be done to
reduce and review some of these cases.”
But President of the Senate, David
Mark, said there was little or nothing the government could do to save the
convicts, since their actions were in complete violation of the laws of
Indonesia.
While dismissing the motion, Mark
said the prisoners had themselves to blame because they knew the consequences
of trafficking in drugs, yet went ahead to commit the crimes.
“Unfortunately in the Sixth Senate we
took up this matter and we sent a delegation to Indonesia. I think it was Uche
Chukwumerije who raised the issue, to Indonesia, Singapore China and they
brought a report back that all the people on death row were people who had gone
for trafficking in drugs. And they had exhausted all the legal system
possible,” he said.