Marco Cappato, Lista Bonino MEP, and Nigerian parliamentary...

Marco Cappato, Lista Bonino MEP, and Nigerian parliamentary Abdul Oroh, both Hands Off Cain board members, together with Marcello Ricoveri, Italian ambassador to Nigeria, met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Saisu Balarabe Samaila, on the purpose to obtain concrete assurances to show the EU the possibilities of success for the UN death penalty initiative and in order to overcome the doubts expressed by the General Affairs Council on July 21st.Minister Samaila declared the abolition of the death penalty as an issue under parliamentary jurisdiction even though President Obasanjo was at the front line in the battle against executions. For this reason he affirmed that President Obasanjo would be able to back the moratorium proposal and that he would personally be present at the General Assembly in New York this Autumn.