CSOs Demand Execution Of Condemned Kidnappers

A coalition of over 20 civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on governors across the 36 states to sign execution warrants for condemned kidnappers and other criminals whose cases have exhausted the judicial process.

The national president of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, Isah Abubakar, made the call yesterday during a press conference in Kaduna to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

Abubakar, who commended the recent death sentences handed down to convicted kidnappers in Edo State, urged governors to demonstrate the political will to enforce judicial decisions.

He said failure to carry out capital punishment after the completion of the judicial process could undermine efforts to deter criminality, adding that keeping condemned prisoners indefinitely also placed additional financial burdens on taxpayers.

The coalition expressed support for the execution of prisoners whose death sentences had been lawfully handed down by competent courts.

The convener of the coalition, Aminu Haruna, called on state governors to exercise their constitutional responsibilities concerning inmates on death row, saying many condemned prisoners had remained in custody for years because governors were reluctant to approve their execution.

“Our executive governors who are saddled with the responsibility of signing this document for execution are not ready to,” Haruna said.

The coalition appealed to governors across the country to act on death sentences where all legal processes had been exhausted.

“We wish to use today, first of October, to appeal to the entire governors in this country that anybody on death row in your state should be executed,” Haruna said.

The coalition also explained its decision to suspend its planned October 1 peaceful protest, saying security assessments indicated that criminal elements could hijack the demonstration and trigger confrontation between protesters and security agencies.

Haruna said the decision followed consultations with relevant stakeholders and an assessment of the security situation in Kaduna State.

He added that the coalition had weighed the advantages and disadvantages of proceeding with the demonstration and concluded that the potential consequences could outweigh its immediate objectives.

The coalition stressed that the suspension did not mean it had abandoned peaceful protests as a legitimate means of expressing citizens’ grievances, saying its demands concerning the welfare of Nigerians, particularly Kaduna residents, would still be conveyed to the executive arm of government.

The coalition also called on citizens to provide credible intelligence to security agencies, stressing that community participation remained essential to protecting lives and property.

The CSOs commended the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, for what they described as operational support and leadership to their respective commands.