Nigerians, Ghanaian On Indonesia Death Row Arrive On Execution Island

Raheem Agbaje Salami, left, with some of the convicts

Two Nigerian drug smugglers with seven others were taken Wednesday to an Indonesian island where they will be executed despite frantic diplomatic efforts to save them.

Raheem Agbaje Salami, 45, a Nigerian national who was born in Cordova, Spain and Silvester Obiekwe, 39, as well as Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the so-called "Bali Nine" drug smuggling gang, were woken and given a few minutes to get ready before leaving Bali's Kerobokan jail in the early hours, said justice ministry official Nyoman Putra Surya.

 

Silvester Obiekwe Nwaolise

The men, sentenced to death in 2006 for trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia, said "thank you" before leaving. "We handcuffed them and they were quiet," a prison official added.

The Nigerians face execution after their clemency requests were rejected by Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last month, said Attorney General’s office spokesman Tony Spontana.

Indonesia must give the foreign drug convicts 72 hours' notice before they are executed

Jokowi has received phone calls from some foreign leaders asking that the executions be canceled, but rejected their requests. He vowed not to grant mercy to drug offenders because Indonesia is suffering a “drug emergency.”

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called on Indonesia to “reciprocate” for Australia’s $1 billion aid package after the 2004 tsunami by sparing his two countrymen.

Indonesian armoured police vehicles are pictured transporting death row prisoners  to the port where they later travelled to the prison island in Cilacap, Indonesia  

Indonesia executed six drug convicts including foreigners in January. More than 130 people are on death row, including 57 drug convicts.

More than 200 police and soldiers as well as water cannon were stationed outside the Bali prison as the men, in their early 30s, were driven out through a scrum of journalists.

 

The plane reportedly carrying drug smugglers on death row sits at Cilacap airport in Central Java following a flight from Bali on March 4, 2015 

The men recently lost their appeals for presidential clemency, typically the last chance to avoid the firing squad. Officials have yet to announce a date for their executions but the transfer indicates it is imminent.

They are among several drug convicts, including foreigners from France, Brazil, the Philippines, Ghana and Nigeria, who have lost their clemency requests and are expected to be put to death at the same time on Nusakambangan soon.

 

Indonesian police guard are pictured standing guard as vehicles containing the prisoners are unloaded from a ferry

PRISONERS INDONESIA IS READY TO EXECUTE 

* Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (Philippines)

* Serge Areski Atlaoui (France)

* Martin Anderson alias Belo (Ghana)

* Raheem Agbaje Salami (Nigeria)

* Rodrigo Gularte (Brazil)

* Myuran Sukumaran (Australia)

* Andrew Chan (Australia)

* Zainal Abidin (Indonesia)

* Silvester Obiekwe (Nigeria)

© Australian Associated Press