Despite international outcry and plea for clemency, Singapore government on Friday executed a 38-year-old Nigerian graduate, Chijioke Obioha, convicted of drug trafficking.
Mr. Obioha was hanged in Changi Prison early Friday morning alongside a Malaysian national who was convicted on separate drugs offenses, the Straits Times quoted a statement from the country’s anti-narcotics bureau.
The Nigerian was arrested in April 2007 in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of cannabis. It surpassed the 500 grams mark, which by operation of law leads to a presumption of trafficking.
Obioha was convicted in December 2008 and was sentenced to death by hanging. According to the report, his appeal was dismissed in 2010.
The execution comes 48 hours after he lost an appeal for clemency to the Singaporean government.
“The death penalty is never the solution. It will not rid Singapore of drugs.
“By executing people for drug-related offences, which do not meet the threshold of most serious crimes, Singapore is violating international law,” the Human Rights group said on Wednesday.
Obioha is the latest Nigerian to be executed for drugs-related crimes in Singapore after Iwuchukwu Tochi was executed in the same Changi Prison despite all appeals and threats by the Nigerian government.
As at filing this report, there has been no word from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over Obioha’s execution,
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