In observance of World Day Against Death Penalty, Advocates Sans Frontiers (ASF) France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders, expressed deep concern regarding the increasing number of inmates awaiting execution in Nigerian prisons.
Ms. Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the organization’s Country Director, revealed that there are currently 3,650 inmates on death row in Nigeria, including 63 women held across 11 maximum-security prisons.
Reports has it that this revelation coincided with a joint statement from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) advocating for the abolition of capital punishment.
During a high-level consultation to commemorate the day, Uzoma-Iwuchukwu highlighted that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, recently mentioned Nigeria’s voluntary moratorium on the death penalty at an international forum.
While acknowledging this as a positive development, Uzoma-Iwuchukwu emphasized the need for a policy to support the minister’s statement.
“Without a policy paper in place, executions could occur at any moment, putting the over 3,000 individuals on death row at significant risk,” she cautioned. She pointed out that Nigeria has the highest number of death row inmates in sub-Saharan Africa, a number that continues to grow, despite the last execution occurring in 2014.
Chinonye Obiagwu, SAN, Executive Director of the Legal Defence & Assistance Project (LEDAP), noted that Nigeria is one of only 15 African countries that have not abolished the death penalty. Among these, Nigeria has the highest number of prisoners on death row and the most offenses punishable by death. “The death penalty regime in Nigeria is alarming, and we hope for its abolition soon,” he stated.
Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, called for the complete legal abolition of capital punishment, describing continued death sentences as a serious concern.
“The death penalty represents state-sanctioned violence that is irreversible and fraught with the potential for grave harm,” he explained. He also pointed out that evidence shows capital punishment does not deter crime and that wrongful convictions can lead to the execution of innocent people.
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, President of the NBA, represented by Mr. Nuhu Egya, Chairman of the Citizens Liberties Committee, stressed the need for the federal government to reconsider the death sentence, calling it “an outdated and ineffective form of punishment.” He affirmed the NBA’s commitment to advocating for reforms that promote fair trials and humane sentencing, including offering free legal services to individuals facing the death penalty.
Notable attendees at the event included Ms. Leilani Bin-Juda, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, and Jean-François Hasperue, Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy in Nigeria.
