Nigeria faces an escalating crisis as over 3,500 inmates languish on death row, caught in legal and moral limbo. As of April, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), 3,504 individuals, including 73 women, are awaiting execution.
Despite capital punishment being enshrined in Nigerian law, the last known execution was carried out in 2016 by then-Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Since then, state governors—who hold the ultimate authority to sign death warrants—have primarily abstained from taking action.
This inaction raises serious questions about both the mental health of inmates on death row and the state’s commitment to its criminal justice system.
The delay in executing death sentences has been attributed to various reasons, ranging from a shortage of executioners to a lack of political will on the part of governors. While these justifications may be understandable to some extent, the prolonged isolation and uncertainty imposed on death row inmates constitute a violation of human rights, particularly for those whose sentences have been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Keeping inmates indefinitely on death row, often for years, goes against international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory. It is both psychologically damaging for the condemned individuals and morally troubling for the nation as a whole.
The Moral Dilemma of Capital Punishment
The debate around capital punishment is far from resolved, with solid arguments on both sides. Proponents argue that the fear of death serves as the ultimate deterrent for serious crimes such as murder, suggesting that individuals would hesitate before committing such offences if they knew the death penalty awaited them.
On the other hand, opponents argue that hardened criminals are unlikely to be deterred by the threat of execution. The knowledge of inevitable death could make such criminals more dangerous and ruthless.
Furthermore, the ethical implications of capital punishment are profound. Critics argue that by executing criminals, the state risks mirroring the very crime it seeks to punish. This perspective calls for the state to exhibit more remarkable moral restraint and compassion, even toward those convicted of heinous crimes. Thus, the death penalty presents an ongoing moral problem, placing an immense burden on the state.
A Crisis of Leadership
While the philosophical debate over capital punishment continues, Nigeria’s immediate concern lies in the burgeoning number of inmates on death row. Governors who have the authority to sign death warrants, commute sentences, or grant clemency must take responsibility. Their hesitation to act prolongs the suffering of condemned inmates and further strains Nigeria’s justice system.
The growing population of death row inmates is an indictment of the state’s failure to wield the ultimate power of life and death with urgency and care. By allowing inmates to linger indefinitely in prison, the state is effectively condemning them to die slowly, which some might argue is a fate worse than execution. Governors must either commute the sentences of some inmates to life imprisonment or proceed with executions for those whose crimes warrant it.
Call to Action
State governors must rise to the occasion, exercising their powers with wisdom and urgency. This is not merely a question of justice for crime victims but also of upholding the integrity of the legal system.
The options are clear: demonstrate mercy by commuting sentences or fulfil their duty by signing death warrants where appropriate. Indecision serves no one—least of all those left to wither away on death row.
The power over life and death is the most sacred responsibility bestowed upon state leaders. Governors must recognize the gravity of this responsibility and act accordingly to resolve Nigeria’s growing crisis of death row inmates.
