By ADEMOLA TIJANI
In what many have described as nothing short of a miracle, the government of Indonesia has freed a Nigerian man, Emmanuel Ihejirika, who had been on death row in the country.
Ihejirika was originally sentenced to death many years ago after being convicted of drug trafficking, a crime that has severe penalties under Indonesian law.
His release is especially significant given that Indonesia previously executed four Nigerians alongside an Indonesian and a British citizen, all convicted of similar offenses.
Ihejirika’s freedom came after years of advocacy and legal efforts, culminating in a successful intervention by Nigerian lawyer Emmanuel Isha Ogebe, based in Washington, D.C.
According to a statement by Gabriel Odu of the Public Relations Unit at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), it was Ogebe’s persistent legal work that ultimately led to the release of Ihejirika.
The case attracted significant attention when a high-level Nigerian delegation, which included former Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Madueke and Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a former member of the House of Representatives, visited Indonesia. Their mission was to advocate for clemency for Nigerians on death row, including Ihejirika.
Ogebe, who firmly believed that Ihejirika was a victim of mistaken identity, took the case through the Indonesian legal system, including an appeal to the Supreme Court.
His efforts were successful, and after years of uncertainty and legal battles, Ihejirika was finally freed.
The statement from NiDCOM highlighted Ogebe’s role in the release, stating, “Ogebe succeeded as he took the case up to the Supreme Court, and Ihejirika was finally let off the hook.” This development marks a major victory for those advocating for Nigerians facing legal challenges abroad.
