Despite an appeal by President Olusegun Obasanjo to the government of Singapore to spare the life of a Nigerian, Tochi Amara Iwuchukwu, from the hangman's noose, the country is set to carry out the execution tomorrow as a deterrent to protect its citizens.
Iwuchukwu, a 21-year-old Nigerian was convicted of trafficking in 727 grams (26 ounces) of heroin, estimated by authorities to be worth 1.5 million Singapore dollars (US$970,000)and a court has sentenced him to death by hanging in line with the country's law.
Yesterday, Singaporean prison department stated "The death penalty is imposed for the most serious of crimes, which sends a strong signal to would-be offenders to deter them from committing such crimes as drug trafficking, murder and use of firearms," adding, "We weigh the right to life of the convicted against the rights of victims and the right of the community to live and work in peace and security.”

Hey,

I really don't know. bt mayb he doesnt deserve to die by hanging,  i heard jst last night that them obj. ave sorted things out with them ova dere,  bt whether dey would hid 2 his plea is anaoda kettle of fish.

yea, d crime is big, bt certainly nt as big as saddam's offences. so i think dey should rada let him ave his fair share of imprisonment rada dan hang him,

but d boy hard o!!!

the guy is an adult so he knew the consequences if he got caught. all just to make quick money. in some countries, if u are caught with drugs you get a jail term while in others mostly asian countries is death. or has'nt anyone watched bangkok hilton. taking drugs to singapore, he obviously knew its a death sentence they pass there if caught but the money was worth risking it.

all i'm saying is you do something like that you know there are the odds you might get caught and killed but you takle the risk anyway.

Stupid boy

For as long as there are would-be smugglers willing to stake all on the bogus assurances of juju consultants back in Nigeria, even this horrible penalty will not deter others of the same superstitious mentality from taking the same insane risks in do-or-die attempts to evade customs and the ultimate price, all for a quick buck.

He was aware of the penalty for the offence so no big deal.

If he had succeeded the deal may have destroyed a lot of lives too.

How odd.Same people who expressed misgivings about the hanging of Saddam Hussein,a mass murderer, are not outraged over the hanging of a human being for drug smuggling.

I have no sympathy for the argument that drug smugglers should be hung when drug users get off lightly

Why should the buyer of drugs suffer any less punishment than the seller?

Hey,don't be suprised if there are members of the Singaporean Govt that use hard drugs
I wonder if Singapore will proceed to hang that man if he was American ,Westerner or is hanging confined to Africans.

Drug smuggling is a big offence but sentencing him to death, is too harsh, maybe they would have sentence him to six or 10 years in prisonment. even in advance coutries the hammer is not up the that,

Countries make laws and clearly spell out punishments for erring people.

Saddam was sentenced to death for the same thing that Bush still does till today, common sense should make this clear.

4 Play:

How odd.Same people who expressed misgivings about the hanging of Saddam Hussein,a mass murderer, are not outraged over the hanging of a human being for drug smuggling.

Makes you wonder doesn't it? Some of those same people were also on the other thread saying Rev king deserved the death sentence he got. Reminds you of a little something called hypocrisy.

Afam:

Countries make laws and clearly spell out punishments for erring people.

Saddam was sentenced to death for the same thing that Bush still does till today, common sense should make this clear.

You contradict yourself in the same post. Countries make laws and spell out punishments, Iraq have laws and used it on Saddam who is Iraqi. Iraqi laws should not apply to George Bush who is American, should it?Stop comparing Saddam and George Bush. . .What an idiot.

The punishment is excessive, end of story.

Mariory:

Makes you wonder doesn't it? Some of those same people were also on the other thread saying Rev king deserved the death sentence he got. Reminds you of a little something called hypocrisy.

I stated that Rev King deserved the death sentence just as I am in support of the death sentenced passed on this Nigerian in Singapore.

On Saddam, he was sentenced to death for doing what every president or governor does when a court sentences anyone to death - sign the death warrant.

My point is that Saddam was directly responsible (even with audio tapes as evidences) for the killing of innocent Kurds and these Kurds were never tried in any courts, they were just killed based on orders from Saddam.

On crimes like that he deserved to be killed, I do not object to Saddam being killed for real crimes, I object to killing him for a crime that never existed.

Donzman:

You contradict yourself in the same post. Countries make laws and spell out punishments, Iraq have laws and used it on Saddam who is Iraqi. Iraqi laws should not apply to George Bush who is American, should it?Stop comparing Saddam and George Bush. . .What an idiot.


The punishment is excessive, end of story.

@Donzman,

There is no contradiction here. I am sure a lot of people from different parts of the world objected to the trial and subsequent execution based on how the trial went and the speed with which it was carried out.

If Saddam needed to die by signing the death warrants of people tried and convicted by the law courts then people like Bush and any president (even the person signing the death warrant of the Nigerian in question should be guilty of the same offence as well.

My post was simple unless you have other thoughts on your mind for making the statements you are making.

if a man choose to break the laws of another man's country, then he should also be prepared to face the consequences.
If the law says death then death it is.

4 Play:

Hey,don't be suprised if there are members of the Singaporean Govt that use hard drugs
I wonder if Singapore will proceed to hang that man if he was American ,Westerner or is hanging confined to Africans.

Dude did you hear about the uproar that happened about the American idiot that defaced a building in Singapore with grafitti and was sentence to 150 flogs of a bamboo cane? majority of Americans screamed and cried and yelled that the punishment was too much blah blah like the redneck morons that they are.

Point is, if you intend to go into another country with such harsh rules, be ready to accept the consequences. Read up on Singapore, they really do not play with their laws. Im really not sure whose worse when it comes to these kinda things, them or Saudia Arabia. Now if the idiot had used the route of The United States or Britain or whatever, he would have been deported or jail for a few years but this is a different country, different laws. Cant abide to them, stay the hell away from there.

i dont think pple should pity this person
b4 anyone can do something like that i'm sure he'll know that there's a possibility of being caught. since he had the balls to do it, he should as well have teh balls to face te consequencies.

dont u and i like money? we just decided not to choose that path for reason or the other ( all boling down to the fact that we dont have the liver)

please, when the music starts, let him dance!!!

eniola1310:

i don't think people should pity this person
before anyone can do something like that i'm sure he'll know that there's a possibility of being caught. since he had the balls to do it, he should as well have the balls to face te consequencies.

don't u and i like money? we just decided not to choose that path for reason or the other ( all boling down to the fact that we don't have the liver)

please, when the music starts, let him dance!!!

Not drug trafficking, it is too harsh. Kilagbe, Kilennju? I am sure the guy is not aware if he is caught it is going tobe death sentence. I for one also condemn the death sentence, it is too costly compare to the offence committed.

I learnt that Tochi Amara Iwuchukwu was innocent,
The guy is a victim of circumstances, He is one of the guy is nigeria pursueing greener pasture abroad, Tochi was a footballer here in Nigeria, a man approach him and told him he will take him overseas to contunue is professional football. On getting to Singapore the man he Tochi never new is a drug tracficker saw that the security in the airport there in singapore is tight he handed over his briefcase he was holding to Tochi Amara Iwuchukwu and said is coming.
Tochi who was JJC there was waiting, not knowing what was inside the briefcase, getting to his turn to search, they found 727 grams (26 ounces) of heroin.
He could not speak for himself.
There is clear evidence that tochi have never in his life live in a foriegn land until that day.
THe international media raise an appeal in favour of tochi, but singapore law state that drug trafficking if found guilty is a death penalty.

May his soul rest in peace

lmao sure.

At this day and age, you wanna tell me people are still falling for the "please hold my lauggage while I run to the bathroom" excuse?

@ Topic,

Well I read through your post on this thread and well, most of the opinions are sounds great but we must not forget the origin or the way that poor boy met himself there.

I believe it that that boy met himself in that shit through the issue of schooling. Singapore as a case study is a place where you getting VISA into is as easy as anything.

What happened to this poor boy is happening to lots of Nigerians in Singapore and Malaysia. I believe his parents are close to the federal government thats why he had his case heard in public.

If you go to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, you will see what am talking about. Lots of our citizens are suffering over there, some are dropped out and can't even come back home because of the terms of how they got the money (borrowed money).

And this I believe will serve as a signal to all or abroad admission seekers.

In this three countries I just mentioned, if you are having intension of schooling alongside working, it won't be a good venue for you. Even if you are told by any agent that there is going to be a part-time job for you, I tell you is a lair. Thier government is not allowing international student to work at all.

So my poor brother, from my father land was lured into the coke business. thats the only thing they will push one into, I mean almost all Nigerians are adviced to do that.

Is where I have been to, so if you are criticism that poor fellow, then better watch how you lay your words, his stucked in school, and had to do something to help his future.

He never deserve to die, is our government that serve to die. They failed us, have failed us and always us fail us. Thanks for the good journalist that air this in the Nigeria news paper, I hope this medium will help send a signal to the government about the numbers of our health youths we loose in cause of their failure and mis-management.

IF NOT FOR THE CORRUPTION IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT POOR BOY WOULD BE HERE NOW, HAPPY, WITH HIS BROTHERS.

@ topic personally i believe the death sentence was too much, he should have been sentenced to like 15 to 20 years in prison but any way the deed has been done just read over the news that they guy has been executed. May his soul reat in peace

http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1732

eniola1310:

i don't think people should pity this person
before anyone can do something like that i'm sure he'll know that there's a possibility of being caught. since he had the balls to do it, he should as well have the balls to face te consequencies.

don't u and i like money? we just decided not to choose that path for reason or the other ( all boling down to the fact that we don't have the liver)

please, when the music starts, let him dance!!!

Well said girl!!!

The law of the country must hold, if the law says death penalty, then death penalty it is. Why should they bend the rules when it comes to a Nigerian teenager. For all I care, the guy is a middle aged man just traveling on a disguised age to deflect suspicion.

My irritation is down to the fact that there was no way on earth that man would have been hung if he was carrying an American or British passport instead of a Nigerian passport

Interesting report from Amnesty International on Singapore http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa360012004

THIS IS FOR YOU TOCHI AMARA. THOUGH I KNOW YOU NOT, YOU ARE STILL MY BROTHER.( R.I.P)
Man In Black Lyrics

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

I really want to stop blaming the government on issues such as "extreme" hustling as this, but man, why not a South African or even an Indian on the headlines?

Young nigerians'd give anything up to play football beyond Africa and it tells a long story back here in Naija, where employment is rare, expect to see anything. Back in school, some of my colleagues were nabbed in Heathrow and JFK for "coco" some still serving terms, some, we haven't heard from them, but how do we explain this?

RIP brother. If there's a ghetto in heaven, we'll get 2 meet!