Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke has declared that only through the review of the constitution would the death penalty, as is operational in the country, be abolished.
Adoke, who said this on Thursday in Abuja, emphasised that the death penalty is recognised by the constitution.
Some civil and human rights groups have been kicking against the execution of some convicted criminals in Benin, the Edo State capital after their sentence was signed by State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Speaking at the 2013 Ministerial Platform, he explained that it is impossible to abolish the death penalty until the law is reviewed by relevant stakeholders, adding that issues involving imposition of death sentence as a punitive measure are state offences so it would be difficult to impose it on any state of the federation.
His words: “The issue of death sentence is a very sensitive one, considering the ongoing global debate.
“However, that debate has not metamorphosed into the abolition of death sentence in our law and most of the issues involving death sentences are state offences. We know that abolition is the current trend today. However, under the Nigerian law, in our statutes and constitution, death sentence is recognised.”
He said the only thing the Federal Government could do is to partner with the various states to find a lasting solution to the issue, since the country is practising a federal system of government.
“We cannot, in operating a federation, impose on the various states how to run their laws,” he added.
“But we will continue to engage them and we will continue to partner with them and continue to see what can be done to make them buy into the issue of abolition. At the appropriate time, when we have the key stakeholders to buy into it, I think the law will be reviewed and this will become a thing of the past.”
