Amnesty International Urges Nigeria to End Death Penalty, Calls for Justice Reform

Amnesty International has called on the Federal and State Governments to abolish the death penalty across Nigeria, describing it as a violation of international human rights standards.

The appeal was made by Mrs. Barbara Magaji, Programmes Manager at Amnesty International Nigeria, during a stakeholders’ dialogue in Abuja to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The event was held in collaboration with the French Embassy in Nigeria.

Magaji emphasized that all national and state laws containing death penalty provisions contradict international human rights law. She urged governments to review and remove such clauses while improving the capacity of the criminal justice system to conduct thorough investigations, support victims, and ensure fair trials.

According to her, the Federal Government, through the National Assembly, should consider abolishing the death penalty entirely during the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
“There is no credible evidence that the death penalty has any special deterrent effect on crime” Magaji stated.

She noted that 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) currently retain or have amended laws prescribing death sentences for crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling and cultism. Yet, she said, crime rates continue to climb despite these measures.

Amnesty International’s recent findings revealed worsening insecurity in Nigeria, marked by rising incidents of killings, kidnappings, and unlawful violence.
“In 2024, over 181 incidents led to more than 3,169 deaths, including extra-judicial killings linked to banditry, terrorism, and community conflicts,” she said. “In 2025 alone, we recorded 2,313 deaths from 204 insecurity incidents and over 1,000 kidnappings.”

Magaji stressed that Nigeria’s insecurity is rooted in multiple socio-economic and governance factors that require comprehensive, preventive, and sustainable solutions rather than punitive measures like capital punishment.

She reaffirmed Amnesty International’s stance against the death penalty in all cases, saying it violates the right to life as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“The death penalty often follows unfair trials, and even when due process is observed, the risk of executing an innocent person can never be eliminated” Magaji explained. “History shows that innocent lives have been lost under such systems.”

Amnesty International, she added, does not condone crime or disregard the pain of victims and their families. Instead, it advocates accountability through fair and lawful punishment that upholds human dignity.

Currently, 143 countries have abolished the death penalty either by law or in practice — a global trend Magaji urged Nigeria to follow.