Stakeholders have renewed calls for the government to abolish capital punishment and replace it with life imprisonment. They urged authorities to amend all relevant criminal laws and remove the death penalty as a form of punishment.

In addition, they also called for a justice reform approach that centres on victims’ genuine needs through restorative and humane means rather than retribution.

The legal experts made these calls in commemoration of the 23rd World Day Against the Use of the Death Penalty, with the theme “Death Penalty Protects No One,” and the launch of The Inclusion Project (TIP) documentary titled “Justice Reimagined: Voices of Loss.”

The documentary amplified the voices and experiences of victims of capital offences, offering a rare and powerful perspective on the use of the death penalty in Nigeria.

Through the victims’ stories, the human impact of the justice system and the challenges to the long-held belief that imposing death sentences deters violent crimes were exposed.

On the contrary, it revealed that such punishment has not reduced violent offences but instead heightened the risk of wrongful convictions and the irreversible tragedy of executing innocent persons.

The film called for a justice system rooted in fairness, rehabilitation, and the protection of human dignity rather than retribution. The documentary further serves as a call to action for the Nigerian government and the wider public to re-examine Nigeria’s continued retention of the death penalty.

It urges the government to prioritise reforms that strengthen the justice system, ensure fair trials, and invest in crime prevention strategies that address the root causes of violence. TIP’s Director, Mrs Pamela Okoroigwe, emphasised the need for a shift in perspective.

“It is our hope that this documentary will serve as an educational tool for Nigerians on the use of the death penalty and a call to the government to put a stop to the application of the death penalty in Nigeria.

“For too long, the death penalty has been defended on behalf of the victims without actually asking them what they want.

“This documentary makes it clear that many victims in Nigeria are rejecting the death penalty not out of sympathy for offenders, but because they understand that killing in response to killing does not deliver justice, it only deepens injustice,” she said.

Also, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Abiodun Odusote, explained that research consistently shows that the death penalty does not deter crime.

“Several studies have concluded that the death penalty does not in any way deter crime. In Nigeria, we have been applying death sentences from time immemorial, yet crimes like murder, kidnapping, and banditry continue to rise,” he said.

He noted that while judges are bound by law to pronounce death sentences, governors’ reluctance to sign execution warrants suggests an unofficial moratorium.

“Why don’t we have a formal moratorium such that there will not be a pronouncement of the death penalty, but the offenders will be incarcerated, serving prison terms where they can show remorse for their offences?” He asked.

Similarly, Convener of the Criminal Justice Network of Nigeria, Nathaniel Ngwu, said the documentary captures the pain and disillusionment of victims whose loved ones were lost to violent crimes.

“It’s a clear indication that the provision of the death penalty is not in any way helping victims of crime,” he said. Ngwu urged the government to declare a moratorium on the death penalty in Nigeria and review its impact on convicts already sentenced to death. He added that Nigeria could learn from countries such as Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Britain, which have suspended or abolished the death penalty without an increase in crime rates.

“We want to be like those nations that declared a suspension of death sentences and adopted alternatives.

“If we can borrow and look at how they achieved that, we can replicate similar success in Nigeria,” he said.