By Victoria Ojeme, with agency reports

Abuja —The Federal Government, yesterday, pleaded with the government of Indonesia to commute the death penalty passed on Nigerians in the country’s prison to life imprisonment.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, made the plea in a joint communique issued at the end of bilateral meeting between the minister and Mrs Retno Marsudi, his counterpart from Indonesia.

Geoffrey Onyeama,

He said: “On consular issues, Nigeria recognises the drugs emergency situation in Indonesia and pleaded for commuting death penalty to life imprisonment.”

Recall that there are about 50 Nigerians serving various jail terms for different offences in Indonesia with about 11 of them on death row.

Human rights organisation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP,  had called on the Federal Government to boost its efforts in fighting for Nigerians on death row in foreign countries.

The organisation stated that no fewer than 300 Nigerians were currently on death row in prisons across Asian countries since 2016.

Marsudi had earlier announced her government’s growing interest in promoting mutually beneficial economic relations with Nigeria.

The visiting minister expressed concern that there had been decline in bilateral trade between both countries in the last five years.

She said her government was prepared to enhance its economic relations with African countries, especially with Nigeria.

She said that Nigeria and Indonesia have the resources and energies to enhance their areas of cooperation.