A group, Lawyers without Borders (Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), France, have called for an official moratorium on the death penalty in Nigeria.
Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, made the call during activities commemorating the 2023 World Day Against Death Penalty.
The day is observed every October 10, to unify the global abolitionist movement and mobilise civil society, political leaders, lawyers, and opinion leaders, to support the call for the abolition of capital punishment.
The day encourages and consolidates the political and general awareness of the movement against the death penalty.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, said the group is strongly opposed to the death penalty under any guise, without exception.
She argued that the death penalty should be completely abolished from all justice systems, as such violates the fundamental right to life.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) acknowledged the right of every individual to life, hence, any attempt to end a person’s life in the name of justice, even by a state, is a violation of this right. Moreover, the death penalty is discriminatory in its application worldwide, as it is disproportionately used against disadvantaged people, particularly the poor.
“This year’s theme emphasised the concept of’ irreversible torture. The execution of the death penalty itself, is a cruel act, without room for amendments to verdict, in case of fresh evidence. It also doesn’t serve as a deterrent, as countries that practise it continue to experience an increase in crime rates. The path leading to execution is usually paved with torture and psychological trauma for parties involved, including the detainee, lawyers, officials and most importantly, victims’ families.
“Between 2007 and 2016, there were seven executions in Nigeria. Not implementing it in the last seven years is a clear sign of progress in the movement against the death penalty,” the group said.
Addressing journalists at the ASF France Country Office in Nigeria, Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said: “Death penalty should have no place in our justice system. It is against the principle of reformative and restorative justice. No state should have the power to take someone’s life.”
“Today, we urge the Nigerian government to reflect on its continued use of death penalty and take steps to join the other 27 African countries that have completely abolished it. We recommend the establishment of an official moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition.”
