Nigeria has the highest number of people on death row in Sub-Saharan Africa

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April 17, 2018 9:08 AM

Amnesty International says 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

Amnesty International says 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes but with the isolation of the world’s remaining executing countries – such as Nigeria – could not be complete.

Nigeria imposed the highest number of death sentences and had the highest number of people under death sentence in the region at the end of the year.

China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan are top 5 most executioners in 2017.

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Amnesty International, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on human rights, has revealed that Nigeria imposed the highest number of death sentences and the highest number of people under death sentence in Sub Saharan Africa in 2017.

Amnesty Internationalsaid this in its 2017 global review of the death penalty published on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

Amnesty noted that with a total of 2,285 people currently on death row in Nigeria, the country is also the highest in the region, although no executions were carried out in 2017.

The report further stated that 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes but with the isolation of the world’s remaining executing countries – such as Nigeria – could not be complete.

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Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:“The progress in sub-Saharan Africa reinforced its position as a beacon of hope for abolition. The leadership of countries in this region gives fresh hope that the abolition of the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is within reach.”

“With governments in the region continuing to take steps to reduce and repeal the death penalty well into 2018, the isolation of the world’s remaining executing countries could not be starker.

“Now that 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, it is high time that the rest of the world follows their lead and consigns this abhorrent punishment to the history books.”

“It is high time that the rest of the world follows their lead and consigns this abhorrent punishment to the history books,” Shetty said

Highlights of Sub-Saharan Africa trends on executions

Somalia and South Sudan recorded executions in 2017, compared to five countries recorded in 2016.

- 24 executions in Somalia.

- 4 in South Sudan, a slight increase compared to at least 22 recorded in 2016.

- Death sentences decreased, from at least 1,086 in 2016 to at least 878 in 2017.

- Nigeria imposed the highest number of death sentences and had the highest number of people under death sentence in the region at the end of the year.

- Guinea abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

- Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia and Kenya made important strides towards the abolition of the death penalty.

Top 5 executioners list 2017:

- China - 1000s

- Iran - 507+

- Saudi Arabia - 146+

- Iraq - 125+

- Pakistan - 60+

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