Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Saudi Arabia set to execute 28-year-old Nigerian

By Tobi Soniyi and Adelani Adepegba


The authorities in Saudi Arabia are set to execute a Nigerian, Sulaimon Olufemi, 28, who was convicted and sentenced to death in connection with the murder of a policeman in Jeddah in 2002.



Photo file Sulaimon Olufemi








Olufemi, a Nigerian national, was reportedly sentenced to death at a closed trial in May 2005.

This is contained in the April 2008 edition of The Wire, a publication by the Amnesty International, a copy of which was e-mailed to our correspondent.

The human rights body said that Olufemi was one of the 13 Nigerian men arrested in September 2002 in connection with the murder.

The 12 others were however lucky as they were only sentenced to prison terms and corporal punishment.

Amnesty International said that during his trial, Olufemi had no access to legal representation or consular assistance, and was reported to have had no adequate translation of his trial which was conducted in Arabic.

According to the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission, the death sentence against Olufemi has been upheld by the Court of Cassation and ratified by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Amnesty International on Monday expressed the fear that Olufemi could be executed at any time.

The human rights body called on the Nigerian government to protect its citizens in Saudi Arabia and prevent the execution of Olufemi.

It acknowledged the ‘citizen diplomacy‘ policy of the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Madueke, and his steps to protect Nigerian nationals on death row in Indonesia.

It called on the minister to prevail on the Saudi authorities to halt the execution of Olufemi.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of executions in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of 2008.

At least 20 people were reported to have been executed for murder, armed burglary and drug related offences in April 2008.

Those executed included three women.

Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for a wide range of offences. Court proceedings fall far short of international standards for fair trial.

In Saudi Arabia, defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases, are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them.

They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception.

Amnesty International is calling on public spirited people to express concern about the number of executions in Saudi Arabia and to appeal to the Saudi authorities to commute the death sentences against Olufemi and others on death row in Saudi Arabia as a matter of urgency, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

The execution is carried out through public beheading.

Saudi Arabia has had one of the highest execution rates among countries of the world for many years.

At least 158 people were executed in 2007 and Amnesty International said it had recorded at least 31 in 2008.

Death sentences in Saudi Arabia are often imposed after secret and summary trials that breach international fair trial standards and Saudi Arabia’s own Law on Criminal Procedures and Code of Law Practice.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jun/10/409.html

Such a handsome man. Who knows whether they are framing him up because he's Nigerian.

what I expect to see:

all Nigerian muslim should not go to MECCA anymore if Saudi behead this fellow Nigerian.

are we organise enough to push our demands through like the WEST will do? NO.

Sadly, the MAN will be beheaded for we all remain SILENT.

shame on Nigeria and its people.

May God Save him (Amen). I hope Mr. President and all other concerned parties in Nigeria will act fast this time around. I hope the case of this Sulaimon Olufemi will not end the way that of the other boy executed in Indonesia (not sure) early last year. God forbid.
I wonder how the chance for sinners (provided they are really sinners) to repent of their sins will come when you keep killing them. Committing a sin to correct sins, God save us.

Once more, may GOD, in his mercy, grant Sulaimon Olufemi freedom

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that that 66 Nigerians are awaiting execution in Indonesia over drug trafficking and other related crimes.
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click to expand image
Photo file

OJO MADUEKWE

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, at a press briefing on Monday, told journalists that about 20,000 Nigerians were serving jail sentences in European prisons for sundry offences.

According to him, Britain holds 1,461 in their prisons; India, 391; Libya has 1500; Togo, 120; Nepal, 15; Niger, 40 and Japan 14.

He said although the ministry had made an appeal for the death sentences passed by the Indonesian judiciary on the Nigerians to be commuted, it was unlikely that the same appeal would be made for Suleiman Olufemi, who is facing execution in Saudi Arabia over the murder of a policeman.

Maduekwe said it was unlikely that the plea would be made on his behalf because the Saudi authorities might not listen to pleas.

He said the ministry had made pleas on behalf of some Nigerians in the past, that were not heeded.

Stating his predicament over the issue, the minister said, “We go through difficulties as ministers of foreign affairs. We call the ambassadors and appeal to them, ‘please don’t kill our citizens.’

“The argument is not that they did not commit the crime, the argument is that ‘yes your laws have convicted them for drug trafficking, but please don’t kill them.’ We have just finished that with the Indonesian ambassador; he said he would take the message back to his country.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20080611164028


Capital punishment should be abolished. Many have lost their lives for no just cause.

I am sorry, but if truly he killed another, then he deserves his punishment, which is not different from what he will get in Nigeria. I do not see any genuine reason to cry for him, unless of course, he is innocent.

I prayed for the officer that was killed instead.

if he is an american or british we would all have been made to understand that the trial was very unfair and that he is not guilty. a nigerian has no such privileges

just have to cry

TOH:

I prayed for the officer that was killed instead.

just out of curiousity is the olufemi guy not worth being prayed for?
@poster
seems ojo maduekwe seems the sort that ll take actions this time around,but all we can do is pray for the guy and hope his execution gets commuted toa prison sentence as i have never been a supporter of capital punishment anyway

I prayed for the officer that was killed instead.

That is if he actually killed the officer. The young man may be innocent. I dont understand the middle eastern martial law.

and why are you so sure he didnt kill the officer? cos he's Nigerian? Since when did Saudi start targetting Nigerians?

What they are looking for in that Saudi. . .I seriously don't know.

Some decades back when Nigerians travel to the abroad they return home at the end of whatever they have gone there to do, some pregnant women returns home to have their babies so as to get the care of their family. See what Nigeria has become today! Posterity will judge.
I pray for him too because God does not delight in the death of a sinner (in case he is one).

®Th£ Sly®:

What they are looking for in that Saudi. . .I seriously don't know.

Imagine o.
Its not only Saudi but so many countries that are even far far worst than Nigeria.

TOH:

and why are you so sure he didnt kill the officer? because he's Nigerian? Since when did Saudi start targetting Nigerians?

we don't know either that is why you should avoid the capital punishment at all cost because of the possibility of human errors - partial judgement, corrupt evidence, manipulated jury and other factors. the death penalty gives no chance of correction and i sure wouldnt want to see an innocent soul killed.

we don't know either that is why you should avoid the capital punishment at all cost because of the possibility of human errors - partial judgement, corrupt evidence, manipulated jury and other factors. the death penalty gives no chance of correction and i sure wouldnt want to see an innocent soul killed.

Thank you.

lasie :p

Death penalty will always be in SA and most middle eastern countries. It's their laws. If people cant abide by them, they should stay away

This is like the case of the american jackass that went to Singapore to vadalize their country and he was punished with 250 strokes of the cane. Americans were all screaming and crying "injustice", what the Bleep as he looking for in the first place? Cant do THEIR time, dont do any crime or just dont go to that country at all

simple.

There are some countries I wouldnt go even if the flight was free with no strings attached

I hate cases like this

Who knows if he truely killed the Officer?!

If he did, then i dont see any reason for sympathy!!!

Olufemi, a Nigerian national, was reportedly sentenced to death at a closed [/b]trial in May 2005.



The human rights body said that Olufemi was one of the 13 Nigerian men arrested in September 2002 in connection with the murder.

The 12 others were however lucky as they were only sentenced to prison terms and corporal punishment.

Amnesty International said that which was during his trial, [b]Olufemi had no access to legal representation or consular assistance, and was reported to have had no adequate translation of his trial conducted in Arabic.






In Saudi Arabia, defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases, are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them.

They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception.

The bolded texts above should confirm why people are suspecting a foul play here.
1. Why did they exonerate the 12 others from the death penalty?
2. The most important issue here is why he had no legal representation that understands arabic?

Please, when traveling to other parts of the world, KNOW THEIR CUSTOMS AND LAWS!

JosBoy4Lif:

Please, when traveling to other parts of the world, KNOW THEIR CUSTOMS AND LAWS!

Simple.

you see the reason i will always have wahala with these "somehow jumbo-mobo analist" Do you how many times a white british have verdict over turned  for them for the so-called great law? are yall real nigeria or fake one! please stand up.

so them fools better let our bros go and pay more attention to terror newwork.  Anyway what can all those aso monkies do other than milking more money to buy banana for their family.

Oya everybody carry ya cutlass and lets go fight .

May God help femi out (AMEN). Where is our government?

It's always easy to flip our tongues whenever somebody that is not related to us is in grave danger. Whether you know a country's law or not, every human being on earth is entitled to justice and that justice comes only through a good defense. I am not pro or anti Olufemi, I don't know whether he committed the crime or not, I'm not even asking them to tamper justice with mercy, all i ask for is for a good defense that will assure justice is served.

How can you decipher the liar here if jungle justice was delivered in his case?

What they are looking for in that Saudi. . .I seriously don't know.

You may be surprised where some people immigrate to, he may have gone for prayers or to stay with his folks. Ibos are the worst, there is no jungle in this world you won't find one unless there is no business opportunity there.

It is always easy to fault others when we attach ourselves to situations that we have little knowledge of. No one here knows if this man is guilty or not but most everyone on the planet knows that Saudi Arabia has some of the harshest laws on the planet. The man made his way there and unfortunately for him, he if from a country that cares little for it's own people and may actually sit back and watch while one of their own get's executed while the presidents sits back home touting how he is proud of his "rule of law". If you want to blame anyone, then instead of trying to fault the Saudi's for having the death penalty, you may do better to focus your energy in changing how your country handles the welfare of it's citizens in foreign countries.

yea?

nigerians out there i let yall decide and as for[b] REDulgychic[/b]! ibo used to haters like you and mind you fbi are hunting for those 419 yorubas that keep denting nigerians all over the globe and the ibo wont be suprised if one of them is your grany.

If you want to blame anyone, then instead of trying to fault the Saudi's for having the death penalty, you may do better to focus your energy in changing how your country handles the welfare of it's citizens in foreign countries.

Now this I agree with.

This story is something else to beleive in.
I don't know when Nigerians deviated from Fraud to Killers, hope they're not framing this boy up?

nigerians out there i let yall decide and as for REDulgychic! ibo used to haters like you and mind you fbi are hunting for those 419 yorubas that keep denting nigerians all over the globe and the ibo wont be suprised if one of them is your grany.

It is always easy to fault others when we attach ourselves to situations that we have little knowledge of. No one here knows if this man is guilty or not but most everyone on the planet knows that Saudi Arabia has some of the harshest laws on the planet. The man made his way there and unfortunately for him, he if from a country that cares little for it's own people and may actually sit back and watch while one of their own get's executed while the presidents sits back home touting how he is proud of his "rule of law". If you want to blame anyone, then instead of trying to fault the Saudi's fo

A man's life is in serious danger and you are talking about spurring our redundant govt. It's the amnesty international that is pleading his cause, why didnt they wait for ojo madukwe to plead for him? There are so many unfortunate incidents here but it's cold to let him waste because Yaradua and ojo are nonchalant about his situation. If this boy is related to any of us, we'll surely be singing another song. I still maintain that anybody has a right to visit wherever he/she wants. We don't know what took him there, may be hardship, may be that's the only place he has a relation in the world, may be he was taken there as a toddler etc. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"_ M L King jnr.