The European Union, EU has urged Nigeria to explore other alternatives to death penalty, saying it had commenced moves to secure the release of 88 inmates sentenced to death by different courts across the federation.
The EU, which made the call at the official release of a report on cases of death penalty in Nigeria from since 2011 by an international human right body, Avocats Sans Frontieres France, ASFF, also known as Lawyers Without Borders, said it had, through the Saving Lives, SALI, project, succeeded in securing freedom for 35 inmates facing the death penalty.
The Head, Political Governance and Democracy Section of the EU delegation to Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Mr. Alan Munday, insisted that the death penalty ought to have been abolished in the country, “especially in view of the imperfect legal system in existence.
“Under the SALI project, the enforcement of certain rights has been brought to the fore.
“The case of Maimuna Abdulmumini, accused of murder when she was 13 years old and sentenced to death while nursing an infant emphasises this.”
“Her case highlighted the rights of minors under both regional and international laws and secured a victory through the judgment awarding damages as given by the ECOWAS Court of Justice.”
Vanguard
