Human rights advocates, authorized practitioners, and worldwide companions have urged the Federal authorities to finish the demise penalty, as over 3,500 inmates stay on demise row.
The stakeholders made the decision throughout an occasion marking the 2025 Worldwide Day In opposition to the Death Penalty in Abuja, co-organised by the German Embassy, Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) France, and the Australian Excessive Fee.
ASF France marked the event celebrated each October 10, with the screening of the film ‘Simply Mercy’, a true-life story following Bryan Stevenson, a younger Black lawyer and Harvard graduate who strikes to Alabama to defend folks wrongly convicted or too poor to afford correct authorized assist.
Talking on the occasion, Nation Director of ASF France, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, highlighted Nigeria’s progress on demise penalty reform.
She famous that the nation has gone 9 years with out finishing up executions, with the final execution recorded in 2016 in Edo State.
She stated the subsequent essential step is for the federal government to declare an official moratorium on executions, shifting past the present de facto abolition standing.
“We now have made some progress concerning the demise penalty in Nigeria. One of many key achievements is that now we have gone 9 years with out execution in Nigeria. That’s undoubtedly one thing to have fun.
“The instant subsequent section is a moratorium on the demise penalty, a interval the place there might be an official pause towards execution whereas legal guidelines concerning the demise penalty are being thought of,” Uzoma-Iwuchukwu defined.
In keeping with Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, one of many issues they’ve realized representing individuals going through demise penalty, offering free authorized providers and different assist, is that the demise penalty punishment protects nobody and has proven that it’s used disproportionately towards essentially the most susceptible in society.
“The tales are the identical. Our purchasers are subjected to the worst type of torture, merciless, inhuman and degrading remedy. And that is at all times as a result of now we have the necessary demise penalty in Nigeria. That merely signifies that Nigeria is without doubt one of the nations the place there are specific crimes that the legislation says have to be punished by demise,” she said.
German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, restated her nation’s opposition to capital punishment.
She stated the German authorities had abolished the demise penalty years in the past, and would proceed to advocate worldwide for abolition or at the very least a moratorium on executions.
“It’s estimated that globally over 20,000 people are presently on demise row and awaiting execution by very ugly strategies. Amongst them are 3,500 Nigerians,” she said.
The envoy stated that capital punishment goes past authorized points, touching the elemental values of human dignity and the proper to life.
The ambassador famous that the worldwide development reveals rising rejection of the demise penalty, with 144 nations abolishing it both in legislation or apply.
She referenced a current United Nations Human Rights Council decision calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions, which was adopted with a powerful majority vote.
Additionally talking on the occasion, the Cost d’Affaires of the Australian Excessive Fee to Nigeria, Neil Sanderson, known as on Nigeria to take decisive steps towards abolishing the demise penalty, describing it as a merciless, inhumane and ineffective punishment that undermines human dignity and justice.
Sanderson reaffirmed Australia’s unwavering opposition to capital punishment in all instances, stressing that the worldwide tide has shifted firmly towards it.
“Australia’s place is obvious. We oppose the demise penalty in all circumstances and proceed to name for its world abolition,” he stated.
Govt Secretary, Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, stated this 12 months’s theme — “The Dying Penalty Protects No One: Abolish It Now” is each well timed and aligned with the NHRC’s core mandate to advertise and shield the proper to life.
He described the irreversible nature of the demise penalty as deeply troubling, notably in instances the place judicial errors might happen.
The NHRC urged Nigerians to make use of the event not solely to replicate but in addition “to advocate, to teach, and to construct momentum towards a Nigeria the place justice doesn’t come at the price of life
President, Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA), Afam Josiah Osigwe Etaba Agbor noticed that courts could make errors, and the demise penalty leaves no room for second possibilities.
