28/01/02

 Five Nigerians Executed in Thailand for Drug Offences

The Nigerian embassy in Bangkok has confirmed the execution of five Nigerians by firing squad in Bangkwang, Thailand, for drug trafficking.

A letter from the embassy, with reference number ENB/CN/14-/VOL.X, copied to the ministers of justice and information and national orientation and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, said the executions brought the total number of Nigerians executed in that country to six in 2001.

The letter said for the first in more than 10 years, Thailand decided to execute foreign nationals condemned to death, either for drug offences or murder, to signal to the international community its resolve to stamp out drug trade in the Asian country. The embassy further stated that the Thai Correction Department records indicated that there were on the whole 318 prisoners on the death row, 141 of whom are drug offenders