After years of imprisonment, Emmanuel Ihejirika, a Nigerian national, has been released from death row in Indonesia.
His release was made possible by the pro bono efforts of Nigerian lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, based in Washington DC.
Ogebe believed Ihejirika’s case was one of mistaken identity and pursued it through the Indonesian Supreme Court.
His legal work ultimately led to Ihejirika’s release. “Ogebe succeeded as he took the case up to the Supreme Court, and Ihejirika was finally let off the hook,” the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) stated.
NiDCOM chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, praised Ogebe during a meeting in Washington DC, highlighting his selflessness and commitment.
“Dabiri-Erewa re-emphasised that the penalty for drug trafficking in Indonesia is death, adding that Nigerians should stay away from crime,” the statement added.
The release was also credited to the support of Nigerian Charge d’Affaires in Indonesia, Patricia Alechenu.
The case drew attention several years ago when a Nigerian delegation, including former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ojo Madueke, and Dabiri-Erewa, then a member of the House of Representatives, visited Indonesian prisons to seek clemency for Nigerians on death row.
Four Nigerians, along with an Indonesian and a British citizen, were executed.
