Emmanuel Ihejirika, a Nigerian who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia, has been released after spending several years in prison.
His release was announced by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), through a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Gabriel Odu, on Friday.
Ihejirika’s freedom was secured through the efforts of Emmanuel Isha Ogebe, a Washington D.C.-based Nigerian lawyer, who handled the case pro bono. Dabiri-Erewa, during a meeting with Ogebe in Washington D.C., praised the lawyer for his selfless dedication to the case.
Years earlier, a Nigerian delegation, led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ojo Madueke, and including Dabiri-Erewa, then a member of the House of Representatives, and former NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ipinmosho, had visited Indonesia to seek clemency for 21 Nigerians sentenced to death for drug trafficking. Despite their efforts, four Nigerians, along with an Indonesian and a British citizen, were executed.
Ogebe later reached out to Dabiri-Erewa, requesting her intervention in Ihejirika’s case, which was believed to be a case of mistaken identity. After taking the case to Indonesia’s Supreme Court, Ihejirika was eventually exonerated and freed.
Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians to avoid criminal activities, particularly in countries like Indonesia where drug trafficking is punishable by death, and thanked Ogebe and Nigerian Charge D’Affaires in Indonesia, Ms. Patricia Alechenu, for their unwavering support throughout the process.
