The international human rights organization, Lawyers Without Borders (ASF) France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders, lamented the high number of prisoners on death row in Nigeria’s correctional facilities, estimated at 3,600.
The organization stressed that Nigeria has the highest number of death row prisoners in sub-Saharan Africa and that the number continues to grow as new death sentences are handed down regularly. .
The Country Director of ASF, Ms. Angela Uzoma Iwuchukwu, presented this figure during a high-level technical consultation in Abuja, expressing concern over the increasing number of death row prisoners in the country.
She said Nigeria has had a voluntary moratorium on executions since 2014, but the lack of a formal policy leaves prisoners on death row at risk of being executed at any time.
Uzoma Iwuchukwu said, “Nigeria has about 3,600 people on death row, of which there are about 63 women. So it’s actually a small percentage. There are unique problems, one of which is that many of the women ended up on death row because they resisted the kind of abuse they were experiencing.
“And their trials did not consider spousal abuse or domestic violence, which led to their convictions and ultimately to death row.
“That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to address this issue, the gender perspective and the uniqueness of female death row inmates.”
The Executive Director of the Legal Defense and Assistance Project (LEDAP), Chinonye Obiagwu (SAN), said Nigeria has the highest number of death row prisoners in Africa.
“Nigeria also has the highest number of crimes punishable by the death penalty and we are deeply concerned about this worrying trend,” he said.
He called on the government to abolish the death penalty.
At the event, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also joined in the call for the abolition of the death penalty.
Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), Executive Director, NHRC, stressed the irreversible nature of the death penalty and its potential to cause irreparable harm, especially in cases of wrongful conviction.
“We cannot ignore the growing evidence that the death penalty fails to deter crime. The risk of executing innocent people remains one of the greatest failures of any justice system,” Ojukwu said. spoke.
NBA Chairman Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) said the death penalty is “outdated and ineffective.”
He advises the federal government to review its use while continuing to advocate for reforms that ensure fair trials and humane sentencing, including the NBA providing free legal services to individuals facing the death penalty. guaranteed.
International representatives, including Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria Leilani bin Judah and French Embassy Deputy Minister Jean-François Haspelieu, also attended the event to demonstrate global support for the abolition of the movement in Nigeria. Death penalty.
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