70 Nigerians await execution in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia

JUDE OPARA, Abuja with agency report

•14 drown in Spain

few days after the Indonesian authorities executed two Nigerians, Samuel Iwuchukwu and Anthony Nwolisa, for their alleged involvement in drug-related offences, another 20 are said to be on the death row in that country. Also, another 50 are awaiting execution in Saudi Arabia and other Asian countries.



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Similarly, 14 Nigerian migrants were missing yesterday after their boat capsized off the southern coast of Spain, a local government spokesman said, citing survivors.

Two maritime rescue ships and an aeroplane were searching for the missing migrants in the waters of the Mediterranean off the town of Motril, the spokesman for the government of the province of Granada said.

The ship was carrying 37 would-be migrants from Nigeria when it capsized at about 5:30 am (0330 GMT) as it was being aided by a Spanish maritime rescue ship, which managed to rescue 23 people, he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe while briefing the media over the weekend in Abuja said it was rather unfortunate that Nigerian citizens should die in such avoidable circumstances saying the government was pained by the development.

The minister whose last-minute efforts at saving the lives of the two Nigerians failed, also revealed that apart from the 20 in Indonesia, there are another 50 in other Asian countries including Saudi Arabia who may be having a date with the hangman if nothing urgent was done to save their lives.

"I had invited the Indonesian ambassador to see how to avoid the executions but that did not help us and in this circumstance, I don’t know what next to do to save the lives of our nationals in these countries, all I will say is that our people should be very careful not to do what are forbidden in foreign countries."

To this effect, Chief Maduekwe revealed that his ministry has set up a high-powered committee to check the incidents of illegal migration by Nigerians. He also said that a National Summit on Illegal Migration would be held very soon to raise national awareness about the dangers of illegal migration and the consequences of doing what is prohibited in foreign lands.

The minister who sounded agitated said it was unfortunate that Nigerians would be treated with disdain at foreign airports just for the sake of a very negligible number of the people who are seen as criminals.

"Ninety nine per cent of Nigerians are clean and credible people who are doing their

legitimate businesses anywhere in the world bet it is rather unfortunate that just for the sake of a few all of us are been harassed when we travel abroad, this is sad and government would do everything to redress the trend," he said.

He assured that the federal government would continue to put in place structures that would ensure that the atmosphere at home was good for the citizens to do their business and also for the foreigners to come and take part in.

According to him, the crux of the citizen diplomacy be preached by the government is centered on the people of Nigeria but that must be within the confines of the laws of their host nations wherever they may be.

He argued that it is wrong for people to flout the laws of their hosts saying that the federal government would not fold its arms and see a Nigerian national being humiliated unjustly but regretted that in the case of drug pushing, there is little or nothing any nation whose citizen was involved could do.

Daily Champion gathered that rough seas with waves of up to six-metres (20-feet) were complicating the search for the missing migrants.

More than 900 would-be illegal immigrants died at sea trying to reach Spain in 2007, according to a tally by the Organisation for Human Rights in Andalusia (APDH-A), a Spanish human rights organization.

Of the 921 people who died, 732 perished close to the western coast of North Africa at the start of their journey and 189 near the coasts of Spain, it said.

The majority of 629 were from sub-Saharan Africa, 287 were from North Africa and five Asians.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jul/8/237.html

Death by drowning: 60 Nigerian illegal immigrants die off the coast of Spain
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Dozens of Nigerians are reported dead and several others missing after their boat capsized while attempting to enter into Spain illegally. Spanish officials who said the dead included two pregnant women said the mishap occured after their boats ran into rough waters off Spain’s southern coast. According to maritime authorities, the boat was carrying over 100 Nigerian migrants when it overturned off the town of Motril.

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About 23 migrants were rescued while the search for the bodies of those who died has begun. The boat was one of several carrying Nigerians attempting the dangerous trip to Europe via Spain. The authorities said they are searching for other boats, but warned that the death toll could be higher.

"Our Navy intercepted several boats, the fate of the occupants are uncertain, but this are dangerous waters and they may have drowned", a Spanish official said.

Sources said the desperate Nigerian paid several thousands of dollars to syndicates which promised them entry to Spain, but ended up packing them into leaky boats for the dangerous trip. Thousands of Africans attempt to reach Spain's canary Islands every year, but most drown during the trip. "The Nigerian government should take steps to prevent its citizens from making this dangerous trip as the likely consequence could be death", Spanish officials said.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jul/8/512.html

Apparently, those that were dumped in the desert are better off.

I still wonder why AIT and NTA avoid stories like these
if they repeat this sort of news every week for 3 good months i think
It will sink in!

Its also about time they start parading drug smugglers caught at the airport on NTA!!!

ait has enough to contend with,not that im justifying them not reporting it,however ait or nta s not the issue,but the useless government that use ambassadorial posts as political compensation instead of having career diplomats there,thats why most of the times they dont know what to say or do to defend the interests of their country and spend all their time stealing money and going for dinners as guests of the host country, u can imagine someone like obanikoro who can string a whole english sentence together as an ambassador or someone like ahmadu alli

Nigerians again?? omg!

Few days back some Nigerians lost their lives while sojourneying to Europe from Spain. . . .in search of greener pasture. .
It's pathetic, really saddening. . . people are just dyeing!!! and our government is doing less about it.

I still wonder why AIT and NTA avoid stories like these
if they repeat this sort of news every week for 3 good months i think
It will sink in!

Its also about time they start parading drug smugglers caught at the airport on NTA!!!

True, true and very true.

Dis Guy:

I still wonder why AIT and NTA avoid stories like these
if they repeat this sort of news every week for 3 good months i think
It will sink in!

Its also about time they start parading drug smugglers caught at the airport on NTA!!!

Good observation there. The Nigerian media is used to sheltering Nigerians from facts of how terrible life is. These media networks paint a very obtuse picture of reality in Nigeria and so do not expect them to do a better job when it comes to external affairs.

Kobojunkie:


Good observation there. The Nigerian media is used to sheltering Nigerians from facts of how terrible life is. These media networks paint a very obtuse picture of reality in Nigeria and so do not expect them to do a better job when it comes to external affairs.

Lets not put the blame on the media here, it aint about the media-the print media is the most readily available communication medium to the man on the street and i believe they are doin their bid on this. What needs to be addressed here is GREED, CORRUPTION AND CRIME- products of a bastardised and almost crippled economy

Itz so saad!!!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .all in d name of getting money!!!

WETIN DEM FIND GO THERE, so dem Bleep up na they should face the music

Thye nigerian media is like the nigerian public. they are only interested when they can make money from anything or when they see an avenue to glorify oyibos in the hope of getting some sponsorships

lonelypal:

Lets not put the blame on the media here, it aint about the media-the print media is the most readily available communication medium to the man on the street and i believe they are doin their bid on this. What needs to be addressed here is GREED, CORRUPTION AND CRIME- products of a bastardised and almost crippled economy

dudu-bobo:

Thye nigerian media is like the nigerian public. they are only interested when they can make money from anything or when they see an avenue to glorify oyibos in the hope of getting some sponsorships

how low can a country sink b4 someone knows it is abnormal?