Lighter Sentence: Indonesia frees Nigerian earlier sentenced to death for drug trafficking

Nigeria Legal Actions

Posted by AI on 2025-07-16 14:50:59 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-19 19:30:34

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Nigeria's Kabiru Aminu has had his sentence reduced significantly after spending over a decade on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking. Aminu, alongside some Australians and a Brazilian, were arrested in 2005 at a Jakarta airport with kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a laptop case and luggage. They maintained that they were duped by international crime syndicates.

On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, the Indonesian Supreme Court decided to reduce Aminu's sentence to 19 years, along with a fine of 1,000 dollars. According to the court, the verdict was reached based on the amount of drugs the defendant was carrying and his willingness to cooperate with authorities.

The court also cited Aminu's good behavior, mental and physical health, and his three children, including a four-year-old daughter who he raised alone in prison. Aminu's lawyer, Ricky Gunawan, said that the decision set a precedent for reconsidering drug crimes based on the principles of humanity.

Aminu was initially sentenced to death by a Jakarta court in 2006 for attempting to smuggle $2.5 million worth of cocaine to Australia. He appealed the ruling several times before it reached the Supreme Court. After serving for 14 years, Aminu will be eligible for parole in five years. While his lawyers will proceed to fight for his release, the Nigerian embassy said it was working with Indonesian authorities for Aminu's early release, citing his good conduct.

This decision comes as Indonesia conducts a crackdown on drug crime; over the past decade, over 144 people have been executed for drug crimes, most by firing squad. Critics have condemned the move, arguing that most of those executed were not given a fair trial.

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