The Nigeria Governors’ forum said it has agreed that over 330 condemned inmates scattered across the country’s congested prisons be executed.
Governors unwillingness to sign death warrants of inmates on death row in Nigeria Prisons have generated debate after it came to public notice that 126 condemned inmates are in Jos prison, at the Plateau state capital that is witnessing communal violence crises.
Nigerians are asking for the usefulness of death penalty in a country where those condemned to death continue to live on tax payers who are daily traumatized by Boko Haram, armed robbers, militants and kidnappers that have hold the country hostage
They have also raises questions, whether the governors who are vested with the power of prerogative of mercy can justly rely on the section 212 (!) (a- d) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, can keep the inmates perpetually without exercising the power.
The section empowered the governors to use their discretion in the exercise of prerogative. But they have declined to exercise such powers leaves room for several interpretations.
Available records indicates that since 1999 when the civilian administration came into power, successive state executive governors have abdicate that aspect of their duty, as they have not consider it convenient to sign death warrants. The resultant effect of governors’ inaction has been an increditable number of inmates on death row in the prisons. The Nigeria Prison Service put the record as 864 inmates on the death row in its custody. The spokesman of the Nigeria Prison Service, Kayode Odeyemi, in a recent interview said that the condemned convicts are in five prisons scattered across the country.
NPS has the power to keep in custody convicts and suspects standing trials. And it has approximately 36, 000 inmates in its crowded prisons. Although, 864 inmates appear very insignificant, all the same it has its own burden on the authorities of the prisons.
Officials of the Jos prison said that an attempt by unknown persons to break the prison was foiled when the unknown persons stormed the prison gates in three jeeps.
The unknown men had claimed that they had been assigned to drill a borehole in the prison, but refused to open their vehicles for checks by security men at the gate, and fled when the police were alerted.
Fielding questions at the end of governors’ forum in Abuja, Governor Theodore Orji said that the forum deliberated on the fate of condemned inmates. “It has been agreed that those people who have been condemned should be executed accordingly”
He said that there are 330 condemned inmates. The figure appeared short of the official NPS figure which has 864 on its record. Probably Governor Forum was concerned about those who have exhausted their appeals.
However, some civil society groups have condemned the decision of the governors saying the condemned inmates should be pardoned. But majority Nigerians who are traumatized by the activities of criminals are insisting that the condemned criminals should pay the prize. But unfortunately for the public, members of the Boko Haram, MEND, MOSSOB, OPC who have killed thousands of innocent citizens and foreigners alike are not likely to be among those on death row. The only known Boko Haram convict by a competent court, for instance, the sect former spokesman Ali Sanda Umar Kunduga is serving six years jail term following his self confession before a Wuse Chief Magistrate. Equally, members of the Mend who were alleged to be involved in October 1 bombing in Abuja, Charles Okah, Edmund Ebiware and Obi Nwabueze are yet to know their fate.
