ASF faults retention of death penalty by Lagos State
“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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