ASF faults retention of death penalty by Lagos State

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(Nigeria) Avocats Sans Frontieres France, ASF, has faulted the retention of the death penalty in Lagos State laws, calling on the government to reform the criminal justice system.
ASF Head of Officer in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu in a statement on Monday, said “The belief that the death penalty deters crime is fundamentally flawed because several studies over the years show that the death penalty does not serve as a deterrent against crime.
“ASF France views the decision of the Lagos State Government to retain the death penalty in its laws as a most unwelcome development. The state government has determined that the death penalty is a suitable deterrent for crimes such as murder and armed robbery, based on  randomly conducted opinion polls. This is in spite of the various aggressive death penalty abolition campaigns that have been launched in the state in the past decade.
“The decision casts a shadow on the status of the Lagos state government as a progressive pace setter in legal policies. ASF France is particularly disappointed because the state government has chosen to hinge this decision on the opinions drawn from a 0.1 percentage of the estimated 20million people who constitute the population of Lagos state, without first laying the groundwork to ensure that the public is adequately enlightened about the implications of the death penalty.
“While ASF France recognizes the importance of public opinions in the formation of legal policies, it reminds the Lagos state government that one of the challenges of making progressive decisions, is going against popular opinion. Many countries have been known to have abolished the death penalty in the face of contrary public opinion.
“The death penalty is an anathema that dehumanizes the society. We oppose the death penalty in all situations and for all cases because it is cruel and inhuman and violates the right to life and the right to respect of human dignity as contained in section 33(1) and 34 (1) of the Nigerian constitution.
“The belief that the death penalty deters crime is fundamentally flawed because several studies over the years show that the death penalty does not serve as a deterrent against crime. In the absence of an established link, the validity of this grave decision must be questioned. By its decision, the Lagos state government has chosen to promote vengeance and not justice.
“The death penalty is irrevocable and is thus a threat in a society like ours where the criminal justice system is far from ideal in the adherence of due processes. The risk of executing innocents is especially high when you consider that in Nigeria, the death penalty is mainly targeted at the poor and the rich are rarely sentenced to death.
“ASF France therefore, calls on the Lagos state government to rescind this decision and instead work towards ensuring the reformation of the criminal justice system so that its state laws reflect the highest standard of respect for human rights,” the statement added.

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