Singapore Executes Nigerian Caught With Drugs

Nigerian death row convict, Chijioke Stephen Obioha has been executed despite calls by Amnesty international and a last-minute appeal by his lawyer. According to a Singapore anti-death penalty activist, Ravi Mravi, who shared the news on Facebook, none of Chijioke’s family members were present so his body has been claimed by the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry for burial. He wrote:

"This morning, at 6am, the execution of Chijioke Stephen Obioha took place. I am not even sure if his family from Nigeria were able to attend. Soon it will be all forgotten together with Chijioke’s name, but for the many of us who fight and campaign to eradicate this barbaric practice of death by hanging, and for those of us who challenge the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking in Singapore, our work will go on. And it must"

"Update: I'm currently arranging with the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry ( RCPM) to claim the body of Chijioke from the Singapore Prisons Service for a proper funeral in accordance with his religious beliefs.The funeral will take place either today or tomorrow depending on how soon the SPS could release the body.
Will keep you posted.”

Chijoke was arrested for drug trafficking on April 7, 2007 and sentenced to death in November 2008.