At least one of the Nigerians executed last night in Indonesia for alleged drug offences was unjustly killed, his lawyers insist.

“At this stage, we can only say that we are extremely disappointed with the fact that Jeff was executed,” said Raynov Tumorang about Humphrey Jefferson Ejike. “The government does not respect the ongoing legal process on Jeff’s case.”

“There is strong evidence of torture and he was not given a fair trial. Racism towards our client can be seen in the court decision,” Mr. Tumorang said.

He unburdened his heart after Indonesia confirmed Friday that four out of 14 convicted drug smugglers expected to be executed had been shot by firing squad on a notorious island prison.

Deputy Attorney General Noor Rachmad told a press conference, “the first (executed) was (Indonesian) Freddy Budiman, then (Senegalese) Seck Osmane, (Nigerians) Michael Titus (Igweh) and Humphrey Ejike.”

Amnesty International asked that the executions should not go ahead, saying the families were only informed of the decision Thursday morning – contrary to Indonesian law and international standards.

The remaining 10 death row inmates will be executed at a later stage, kompas.com quoted Mr. Rachmad as saying – without providing details – at Wijayapura Dock in Cilacap, the port city closest to Nusakambangan prison in Java.

Rachmad insisted that prosecutors had considered the four convicts’ cases in depth before the executions, concluding their crimes had been grave and caused serious damage to others.

He expressed his condolences to their families, saying it was “not a pleasant thing but it was to implement the law.”

“The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes,” he said, adding that the rest “will be carried out in stages.”

Cheikh Niang, Senegal’s ambassador to Japan, who also oversees Indonesia, told CNN that the executed Senegalese prisoner was in fact from Nigeria but had traveled to Indonesia on a fake passport.

Relatives had gathered at the prison earlier in the day to say final goodbyes.

After the executions, four ambulances carrying the bodies of the executed left the island.

The body of Budiman, who authorities have accused of coordinating drug trafficking operations from behind bars, will be transported to his hometown of Surabaya in East Java for burial as he had requested.

The body of Ejike will be cremated, while those of Titus and Osmane will be returned to their home countries.

Nigerians dominate the list of 10 remaining convicts expected to be executed soon. They are Obinna Nwajagu, Ozias Sibanda, Eugene Ape and Okonkwo Nonso Kingsley (apparently a Nigerian claiming Sierra Leonean nationality).

•Based on reports by CNN, BBC and Anadolu Agency. Photo shows Humphrey Jefferson Ejike, whose lawyers insist was unjustly executed for a crime he never committed.

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