Michael Titus Igweh is seeking a retrial after after he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2003 for drug related offences by an Indonesian Court. Metro Tv News
Michael Titus Igweh, a Nigerian businessman, has been on death row since 2003 in an Indonesian prison, and Fairfax Media is reporting that he may be executed within the next couple of days. Igweh was sentenced to death by an Indonesian court for drug related offences in 2003 for possessing 5.8 kilograms of heroin.
Before his imprisonment, Igweh imported clothes from Indonesia to sell in Nigeria. But right now he is one of eight Nigerians currently facing imminent execution in Indonesian prisons. Michael Igweh has, however, revealed that his trial and consequent sentencing was unjust and violated his basic right to fair hearing. Igweh, who is seeking a retrial, has told an Indonesian court that the police repeatedly applied electric shocks to his genital region during his interrogation.
“I was constantly beaten, and my genitals electrocuted until I was helpless,” a tearful Igweh told the Tangerang District Court adding that “In fact, I was threatened to be shot.” Igweh maintains that confessions were forcefully extracted from him using torture and a threat to his life.
Activists and human rights groups in Indonesia have called on the Indonesian authorities to urgently review Michael Igweh’s case to avoid a miscarriage of justice and the wrongful execution of an innocent man. His lawyer Sitor Situmorang said Igweh’s sentencing was flawed because his conviction was based on the testimonies of two alleged accomplices both of whom died in police custody and could not witness in court.
Indonesia’s execution of eight foreign nationals last year sparked an international outrage.
“We believe Marlena and Okoloaja gave Michael’s name just so the police would stop torturing them,” he said. “They were healthy when they were arrested, they had no history of illness, they all just suddenly died while in police custody. We all know what that means.” Situmorang added that “We accepted Michael’s case because we saw it had merit. Out of the many requests from prisoners on Nusakambangan, we only took this.”
Situmorang also criticized the Indonesian Supreme Court for rejecting an earlier application to review Igweh’s case bemoaning what he considered a tendency for judges to seek to achieve popularity from appearing inflexible rather than adhering strictly to standard judicial procedure.
In 2015, the Indonesian authorities executed 8 foreign nationals for drug trafficking related offences. The eight men who were executed by a firing squad included four Nigerians, two Australians, one Brazilian and a French national.
The executions of the 8 men went ahead despite international appeal for clemency and restraint especially from the governments of Australia and Brazil. The move by the Indonesian authorities provoked international outrage and condemnation from rights groups and resulted in a diplomatic spat between Indonesia and Brazil.
Indonesia infamously executes its drug offenders on the remote island of Nusakambangan where the prisoners are tied to wooden posts and shot in an open field. Indonesia’s Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo said on Friday, 22 July that the forthcoming executions would be soon and may possibly include a female convict.
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Any execution without fair hearing and total conviction of the suspect's conscience is forbidden and lack acceptability. Michael's case file should be revisited carefully and a most honest investigation should be done,else future will disagree and if he is killed innocent, his blood may seek vengeance,poising risk in the live of one innocent Indonesian elsewhere in Nigeria or Africa. Indonesia authorities must stop their made in hurry laws and decisions towards killing of foreign nationals without proper convictions! They must allow international laws to take courses in any drug related offenses involving foreign nationals before execution,There are so many points to be clearly examined including languages before execution because most of the drug laws and their interpretation are cooked and served in local language and the convicted foreign nationals don't know the language..There can never be peace without justice" #whoisnext
the long and short is ....What was he doing with drugs in Indonesia?
If he broke the law surely let him face the full wrath of the law .... and to be honest, I have seen many Nigerians in countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe trafficking drugs ..... in Asian countries it's death if you are caught and let it be.
The Frenchman has not been executed and won't be any time soon. French nationals are NEVER executed. They're protected by the French government. Unlike African nationals. Mr Babatunde, please doublecheck your information.
Indonesia has a long history of mistreatment of black people. the people of West Papua are are literally being slaughtered by the Indonesian government, with the help of the United States. they are looting the small nation of its resources. gold, oil. timber, and other minerals and plant life.. men women, and children murdered daily. Please research this for yourself. they need our help. there is a media black out on this story in the United States. the videos on you tube are extremely graphic. these crimes will not be answered with SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE RECONCILIATION, we want full accountability, and financial restitution for our brothers and sisters, and lets not forget our Australian family being marginalized in there own country. the people of Africa know this program well.
the truth of the matter is Black people are under attack around the world by design. i believe nothing in today's world is by chance, it is a well thought out program orchestrated by the usual suspects. Mugabe knows this. they want you to believe he is a crazy old fool. he is far from crazy. and he is no fool. he is ahead of the game. some of the weak leadership of African nations all have strings attached to them provided by there European puppeteers. along with there lap dogs the IMF, and the so called world bank
make no mistake if this man is found guilty of the charges he
faces. he will die. there will be no last minute negotiations. they will make a example of him. I make no excuses for his actions if he is guilty. why the Indonesian government has such a strong hatred for black people is a mystery. considering if you tested there DNA. they will all have some African blood in there veins. this is a fact throughout this entire region.
Indonesia takes its orders from America, there military is supplied by America as well as military training, and advisors. Genocide in West Papua.