UK appeals to Nigeria to abolish death penalty

The UK on Monday appealed to Nigeria to abolish
the death penalty, saying that capital
punishment cheapened human life.
The UK made the appeal in a statement issued by
the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul
Arkwright, on the 2016 World Day against the
Death Penalty.
Arkwright said that the British Government
believed the death penalty had no place in the
modern world and its use undermined human
dignity.
According to him, there is no conclusive evidence
of its deterrent value, adding that any
miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is
irreversible and irreparable.
He explained that the past two decades had seen
a significant rise in the number of countries that
had abolished capital punishment.
“I am concerned therefore that Nigeria, a model
for democracy in Africa, still retains the death
penalty in its laws.
“In 2013 Nigeria carried out four executions, the
first since 2006.
“At the time of the execution, all four
individuals still had appeals to halt their
executions, a violation of international law and I
believe Nigerian law too.”
He said while no death sentence had been
implemented since 2013, Nigeria had more than
1,000 prisoners on death row, the highest
number of death sentences in Africa.
“In 2015, Nigeria recorded 171 death sentences.
This year too, there have been death sentences
handed down by Nigerian courts,” he said.