Singapore executes Malaysian and Nigerian for drug trafficking

SINGAPORE: Singapore has executed two foreigners convicted of drug trafficking, authorities said, a day after the city-state’s highest court rejected final bids for both men to escape the gallows.

The Nigerian and Malaysian were hanged after their last minute appeals were thrown out.

“A 38-year-old male Nigerian, Chijioke Stephen Obioha, had his death sentence carried out on Nov 18 at Changi Prison Complex,” the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement.

Obioha, who came to Singapore to be a footballer, was convicted of trafficking 2.6kg of cannabis in 2008. Under Singapore law, anyone caught with more than 500g of cannabis could be sentenced to death.

A change of law in 2013 meant that Obioha could apply to be resentenced, opening up the possibility of a life sentence, but he turned it down, CNB said.

Just before he was to be hanged last year, Obioha’s lawyer filed for a stay in execution, which was allowed by Singapore’s highest court.

On Thursday, his lawyers launched a final bid to have his sentence commuted to life in prison, but the court turned it down.

CNB also confirmed the execution of 31-year-old Malaysian Devendran Supramaniam, who was convicted of trafficking heroin.

He was arrested in May 2011 at Singapore’s border checkpoint with Malaysia and 2.7kg of a powdery substance that contained 83.36g of pure heroin was seized.

Like Obioha, Devendran launched an eleventh-hour appeal on Thursday to stay his execution, but was turned down.

Singapore takes a strong stand against crime and imposes the death penalty on offences such as murder and drug trafficking.

Singapore executed four people last year, one for murder and three for drug offences, according to prison statistics.