Princewill Akpakpan, a Nigerian lawyer, made the arduous journey to Singapore but was unable to see the young guy who had been found guilty and was forced to return home. Following that, President Olusegun Obasanjo traveled to Singapore. He discussed Nigeria’s possible oil export to the Asian nation during his meeting with the prime minister. There, Obasanjo made reference to Tochi’s scheduled execution and demanded that it be postponed to incarceration. He mentioned Singapore’s excellent ties with Nigeria. “I sincerely implore you to reevaluate the conviction… and to commute the death sentence to imprisonment,” he remarked. With regret, the prime minister said there was nothing he could do to avert the scheduled execution.
Tochi’s brother Uzonna received word in the mail a few days prior to the scheduled execution that he and his family would be allowed to stay for an extra three days. Naturally, it didn’t mean anything to them because they couldn’t afford a plane ticket to Singapore. The international community has come to the consensus that the death penalty should only be applied in cases where the accused person’s guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt and there is no possibility of a different explanation for the circumstances. Singapore is unable to shift the burden of proof and demand that the accused demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that he was unaware that he was carrying drugs.
The cost of Tochi’s flight to Singapore to see his execution was beyond the means of his parents and siblings. Several activists convened with candles in front of Changi jail on Thursday, January 25, 2007. Among them was Madasamy Ravi, an activist and lawyer who spoke with Tochi when she was incarcerated.
