Group criticizes governor over execution of 3 prisoners

monjola sotubo

December 29, 2016 1:19 PM

LEDAP made its comments via a statement released by National Coordinator, Chino Obiagwu on Wednesday, December 28.

Godwin Obaseki

Human rights organization, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) has criticized Edo State Governor,

LEDAP made its comments via a statement released by National Coordinator, Chino Obiagwu on Wednesday, December 28.

The statement reads:

“LEDAP is appalled that the earliest social duty of Governor Obaseki upon assumption of office was the execution of his citizens on death row. We reiterate that all prisoners, including those sentenced to death, retain all the fundamental rights endowed on all citizens by the 1999 Constitution.

“This was re-emphasized by the Court of Appeal in the case of Peter Nemi v Attorney General of Lagos State in 1994. The Supreme Court of Nigeria also held in Nasir Bello v Attorney General of Oyo State that a prisoner could not be legally executed while his case was pending in court.

“Insofar as an appeal against the sentences of the death row prisoners in Nigeria are pending in court, to the knowledge of the prison authorities and the government who participated in the high court proceedings before the appeal, there is no legal justification for the Edo executions, more so when it was carried out cruelly on a day to the eve of Christmas.

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“It is also appalling that the Edo State Government carried out the execution despite the declaration by Nigerian government at its 2009 and 2014 Universal Periodic Reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council that Nigeria has put in place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.”

The prisoners who were executed on December 23, 2016 have been identified as Ogbomoro Omoregie, Apostle Igene and Mark Omosowhota.

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