APPEAL CASES, FEAR OF MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE STALL EXECUTION OF DEATH ROW CONVICTS IN NIGER, KOGI – OFFICIALS
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Agency Report
Government officials and legal experts in Niger and Kogi States have attributed the non-execution of death row inmates to ongoing appeals at higher courts and fears of judicial error, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
In a special survey conducted by NAN on Wednesday, stakeholders revealed that many death penalty cases remain unresolved due to lengthy appeal processes and concerns over the potential for wrongful executions.
Niger State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Malam Nasiru Mua’zu, said that the state has refrained from carrying out executions because a vast majority of those sentenced to death are still challenging their convictions.
“In Niger, 85 per cent of those sentenced to death have ongoing appeals,” Mua’zu disclosed, adding that the appellate process spanning the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court can take between 10 to 20 years.
He emphasized that caution is critical to avoid executing individuals whose cases are yet to be fully reviewed. “This is the primary reason for delays in executing death sentences,” he said.
Similarly, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, echoed the concerns through his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Muiz Yinus-Abdullahi.
Ododo warned against the dangers of rushing to sign death warrants, citing instances where individuals were later found innocent after being condemned.
“It is more safe and wise not to rush into signing death warrants,” he said. “We’ve seen cases where people sentenced to death were later found not guilty. It’s better to err on the side of caution.”
He also noted that no state governor in Nigeria has signed a death warrant since the return of democracy in 1999, contrasting the practice with what was common during military rule.
“Signing such a warrant would be viewed as betraying our citizens, regardless of the crimes committed,” Ododo added.
The Kogi Attorney General urged the Federal Government to consider amending existing laws to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, in line with evolving legal and humanitarian considerations.
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