Amnesty International has urged the federal and state governments to eliminate capital punishment.
Mrs. Barbara Magaji, Amnesty International’s Programs Manager, made the call during a stakeholder forum commemorating World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Amnesty International, in collaboration with the French Embassy in Nigeria, organized a program in Abuja on Thursday.
During the event, Magaji emphasized the importance of removing provisions in national and state laws that violate international human rights law, particularly those that allow for the death penalty.
She also urged the government to ensure that the criminal justice system is adequately resourced to effectively investigate crimes.
According to her, the Federal Government, through the National Assembly, should consider abolishing the death penalty for all crimes during the present Nigerian Constitutional Amendment process.
“This is because there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect on crimes.
“In Nigeria presently, 26 states and the FCT have introduced or amended existing laws prescribing the death penalty for kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, and cultism.
“In spite of the introduction of the death penalty, the country continues to record an increase in banditry, abduction, and general criminality.”
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Magaji observed that the Amnesty International investigation on the violence and deaths in Nigeria showed an increase in general insecurity, unlawful killings, and kidnapping for ransom.
“This is in spite of the introduction of the death penalty for crimes of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and cultism.
“Our documentation of insecurity in 2024 indicates that there have been over 181 incidents resulting in extrajudicial killings arising from banditry/terrorism, urban crime, herdsmen-farmers conflict, and SGBV.
“This has led to over 3169 deaths. In 2024, 881 people were kidnapped. In 2025, there were 2313 deaths arising from 204 insecurity incidents, with some situations resulting in the kidnapping of 1025 people,” she said.
Magaji noted that Nigeria’s escalating insecurity was the result of a number of causes affecting society at various levels, ranging from national to community.
She went on to say that the root reasons for insecurity needed to be addressed comprehensively, and a comprehensive crime prevention mechanism implemented rather than the unsuccessful quick-fix approach.
She stated that Amnesty International was opposed to the death sentence in all situations.
“Amnesty International considers that the death penalty violates the right to life as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“The death penalty is often imposed after a grossly unfair trial. But even when trials respect international standards of fairness, the risk of executing the innocent can never be fully eliminated.
“The death penalty will inevitably claim innocent victims, as has been persistently demonstrated. The trend towards abolition of the death penalty is clear.
“In opposing the death penalty, Amnesty International is in no way seeking to condone the crimes for which those sentenced to death were convicted,” she added.
She mentioned that Amnesty International acknowledged fully the suffering of victims of violent crime and their families and recognized the duty of governments to protect their rights.
“Amnesty International also believed that people found guilty following a trial that met international fair trial standards should be held accountable but without recourse to the death penalty,” she said.
According to her, 143 countries have now abolished the death sentence by law or practice.
