The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says more than 3,298 inmates across the custodial centers (prisons) in the country are on the death rows.
The spokesman for the Service, Mr Abubakar Umar, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, said those on death rows had been convicted for more than a decade and are now awaiting the hangman’s noose.
“Some offenders have been executed more than 15 years after their convictions.
“They were basically awaiting the hangman’s noose in our custodial centers after being found guilty of capital offenses.
“We have quite a number of them; as of today, we have a total of 3,298 inmates on death row.
“They constitute about 4.5 percent of the total number of inmates in our various custodial centers nationwide,” Umar said.
According to the spokesman, those on death rows were hitherto referred to as “condemned criminals” but the term has been expunged from Nigerian laws.
“With the emergence of the NCoS Act 2019 which made the prisons correctional centers, the term “condemned criminal” was abrogated as it is stigmatizing,” he explained.
Umar said the Service preferred to use a more friendly term of ‘Inmates on Death Row.’
He also explained why death sentences were not always carried out immediately they were pronounced by the courts of law
“There are often long periods of uncertainty for the convicted while their cases are being appealed at higher levels”.
Umar noted that some IDRs had been in custody for many years, while some had been there since they were arrested up to their trials and sentencing.
“Many of them committed capital offenses like culpable homicide, armed robbery, and terrorism, among others.
“The good thing is that we engage all of them in activities that will reform and modify their behaviors. The goal is to make them better citizens of the nation.
“We also make them undergo personal development programs like anger management, civic education as well as entrepreneurship.
“Some of them, who do well and show some glimpse of hard work, industry, and discipline, are recommended for clemency to the relevant authorities,” Umar said.
The spokesman said that many IDRs had been executed in the past before the proliferation of the activities of human rights groups and organizations.
“Currently, there is somewhat a kind of moratorium on the execution of offenders.
Before the moratorium on the execution of IDRs became widespread, executions of IDRs were being carried out as and at when due.
“But with the rising activities of human rights groups, many governments shy away from signing the death warrants of these offenders.
“Though it is still in practice, it is not common as it used to be. The last execution of IDRs was carried out in 2016 in Edo.
“We encourage state governors, who shy away from signing the death warrants, to commute them into other sanctions,” the spokesman said.
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