Legal Experts Urge Nigerian Governors To Sign Death Warrants To Uphold Justice.
Legal experts and former judicial officials in Nigeria have called on state governors to sign death warrants for inmates convicted of capital offences, arguing that their reluctance is undermining the criminal justice system and contributing to rising crime rates. The plea comes amid growing concerns over prison overcrowding and the prolonged detention of death row inmates.
Speaking at the Nigeria Human Rights Conference in Enugu, former Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, emphasised that governors’ failure to sign death warrants for convicts who have exhausted all legal appeals is indirectly encouraging criminality. “If a judge fairly decides a case and convicts, and there’s a role for the governor to play, they must perform it,” Bello stated, highlighting the constitutional duty of governors to act decisively. He argued that inaction not only perpetuates crime but also exacerbates prison congestion, with over 3,400 inmates currently on death row across Nigeria’s correctional facilities, according to 2023 Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) data.
Residents in Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa states echoed these sentiments, urging governors to sign death warrants to serve justice and alleviate pressure on overcrowded prisons. However, some advocated for alternative reforms, such as abolishing the death penalty or establishing a specialised body to handle executions, citing governors’ discomfort with the responsibility. Taiye Alabi, a Kogi-based lawyer, noted that many governors avoid signing warrants to distance themselves from causing loss of life, while others face pressure from human rights groups opposing capital punishment.
The debate is not new. In 2021, former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola urged governors to sign death warrants to decongest prisons, a call reiterated by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and ex-Attorney-General Abubakar Malami. Yet, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, only a handful of executions have been authorised, notably by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2012 and 2016, and Kano’s Ibrahim Shekarau in 2006. The NCS reported in 2023 that 5,000 inmates remain on death row, straining resources and causing psychological distress for both inmates and correctional staff.
Critics of the death penalty, including human rights advocates, argue that it violates the right to life and point to countries like Malawi and Sierra Leone, which have abolished capital punishment. They propose commuting death sentences to life imprisonment or granting pardons, as permitted under the Nigerian Constitution. Isah, a legal adviser in Kogi, suggested that modern correctional facilities could rehabilitate convicts through skill acquisition, making them productive rather than executing them.
The Ogun State Government has indicated a shift, with Attorney General Oluwasina Ogungbade stating in January 2025 that Governor Dapo Abiodun is considering signing warrants to deter rising crimes like ritual killings and kidnapping. However, governors in states like Rivers have cited humanitarian concerns, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration emphasising a preference for mercy over executions.
As Nigeria grapples with this complex issue, the call for governors to act—whether by signing warrants, commuting sentences, or reforming the system—underscores the need for a balanced approach to justice, prison management, and public safety. With international pressure mounting to align with global human rights standards, the nation faces a pivotal moment in redefining its stance on capital punishment.
