Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East) has raised alarm on the floor of the Senate about how many Nigerians have invaded Europe and other countries with drug related offences and that currently, no fewer than 153 Nigerians are awaiting execution for their involvement in illicit drug trade in Malaysia and China.
Senator Ashafa who was supported by 21 other senators described the development as an embarrassment to the country, saying that the developed needed to be curtailed by the Nigerian Government through relevant agencies.
In a motion Senator Ashafa said that Harm Reduction International, a United Kingdom-based NGO, said 33 countries impose the death penalty for drug-related offences.
In the motion titled: “Nigerians’ involvement in illicit global drugs trade and increase in domestic drug abuse by Nigerian youth,” Ashafa raised said that many Nigerians are currently on death row in different countries of the world for their involvement in illicit drugs, which attracts capital punishment in those countries.
According to him, not less 153 Nigerians are presently on the death rows in Malaysia and China alone for offences bordering on illicit drugs trafficking.
He chronicled the ugly development further by saying: “Apart from the cases of Malaysia and Indonesia, at least one Nigerian is on the death row in Singapore for drug-related offences.
“Two Nigerians were executed in China in April 2015, but 120 other Nigerians are still on the death row for drug-related offences, with 74 of them being held in Guandong and Guanxi Provinces.
“Four out of 11 Nigerians were executed in April 2015 by Indonesia despite pleas for leniency by Nigeria, the United Nations and Amnesty International.”
Senator Ashafa expressed worry that in spite of the execution, some desperate Nigerians were not deterred, adding: “The case for leniency was rendered impotent because at that point, seven fresh cases of drug trafficking involving Nigerians had just emerged in Indonesia.” [myad]
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