Nigeria: 140 Death Row Inmates Await Execution in Kano

12 November 2023
Leadership (Abuja)
By Hafsat Bello Bahara

The Nigerian Correctional Service in Kano State has disclosed that 140 individuals on death row are awaiting execution.

Spokesman of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Kano State Command, Musbahu Kofar-Nassarawa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Kano that those on death row are of both genders.

The absence of a hangman further complicates the situation, raising questions about the state's preparedness for implementing capital punishment.

"Kano Correctional Centre has no hangman because it is a Medium Security Custodial Centre," Kofar-Nassarawa said.

He pointed out that the governors in the state have not taken decisive action by either signing death warrants or commuting the sentences of those on death row to life imprisonment.

"Some governors use Constitutional provisions to release inmates based on recommendations by the Advisory Council on the prerogative of mercy to decongest correctional centres," Kofar-Nassarawa noted.

The complex nature of the legal process and the reluctance of the governors have contributed to a growing number of individuals in a state of limbo, awaiting a final decision on their fate.

Read the original article on Leadership.

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