Singapore to hang Nigerian trafficker, rejects new appeal

Singapore was set to hang a 21-year-old Nigerian convicted of heroin trafficking a week from Friday, a human rights group said, urging Nigeria’s government to intervene.

Amara Tochi Iwuchukwu is to be executed Jan. 26 at Singapore’s Changi Prison after the Southeast Asian country’s president rejected his clemency appeal, according to a statement from Nigeria’s nongovernment Civil Liberties Organization, or CLO.

A letter from Singapore’s Prisons Department informed Iwuchukwu’s family of the execution and said the department would allow him extra visits in the three days before he is executed.

His family lives in Nigeria.

Iwuchukwu was caught after arriving from Dubai at Singapore’s Changi Airport in November 2004 with 100 capsules containing 727 grams (26 ounces) of heroin, estimated by authorities to be worth 1.5 million Singapore dollars (US$970,000; euro795,930).

The rights group said that Iwuchukwu’s trial was marked by “irregularities,” and that it has made several unsuccessful appeals to the Nigerian government to intervene in the matter. “While the CLO recognizes the right of the Singaporean government to punish any person within its territorial jurisdiction for any act which constitutes an offense in Singapore, we insist that international standards of justice and due process of law must be observed,” the statement said.

Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry could not be reached for comment Friday, and did not immediately respond to e-mailed questions.

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