France, Australia Kick As Nigerians On Death Row Hit 3,000

The international community, including France and Australia have called on the federal government to abolish the death penalty, saying “it does not stop crime.”

That advice came barely 24 hours after a Lagos High Court, sentenced to death by hanging, a police officer, Drambi Vandi, for his involvement in the killing of a lawyer, Bolanle Raheem.

They said since the practice was outdated and does not stop crime, it was time for Nigeria to review the law.

The charge D’ affairs, Australian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Lean Johnston; French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann and the country director, Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders) Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, stated these in an interview with journalists during the screening of a movie titled: “Shepherds and Butchers”,  hosted by ASF with support from the French Embassy and the Australian High Commission in Nigeria to mark the 2023 World Day Against Death Penalty.

At the event, Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, said that over 3,000 Nigerians are on death penalty.

Uzoma-Iwuchukwu added that the number is not exact.

While advising the Nigerian government to emulate Ghana by abolishing capital punishment, she called for the implementation of alternatives by putting in place an official moratorium on executions while working towards abolition of the death penalty.

Johnston, who recalled that Australia had abolished the death penalty in 1967, described capital punishment as state violence against its own citizens.

She said, “To be honest, to us, it is inhuman and it is like a state violence against its own citizens. So, it’s very important for us to work with other governments to put an end to this cruel treatment. Death penalty diminishes human dignity. When you take the life of someone else, whether it’s done as a criminal act, or whether it’s done by the state, it does diminish human dignity.

“There is a huge amount of evidence that suggests that the retention of the death penalty does not act as a deterrent for any form of crime. And traditionally, people have said an eye for an eye does not end the cycle of violence. And so, this is not an effective deterrent. Moreover, there is always the chance that people can be rehabilitated and can contribute to society.”

Blatmann, on her part, called for an official moratorium on executions.

The French envoy observed that France considered the death penalty as something that was unfair and inhuman, adding that it was also irreparable.

According to her, shedding the blood of another human being cannot repair the crime that has been committed.

Blatmann said, “I can’t speak for Nigeria, but I can speak for France.  France considers the death penalty as something that is unfair and inhuman and it is something that is irreparable and unfortunately, we all know that in the legal system throughout the world, miscarriages of justice can happen. So, we consider this as a fundamental human rights issue. And since this day was established 20 years ago, we call for the states who have not abolished the death penalty to adopt moratoriums so that this capital punishment is not used anymore.”

She said that about 53 countries were yet to abolish the death penalty, but observed that some of them have moratoriums against executions.

The attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), represented by the secretary, Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee in the Ministry of Justice, Felix Ota-Okojie, said the list of capital offences for which the death penalty may be applied had increased as a result of the adoption of Sharia-based criminal law in some states in the Northern part of Nigeria.

Fagbemi maintained that while it is true that the death penalty is still a legal punishment in Nigeria, executions have been comparatively low and their frequency fluctuated over time, changing how the death penalty is applied.