State governors have been urged to sign the death warrant of the 3,008 condemned criminals waiting for execution, particularly those whose appeal has been exhausted and were not mounting challenges to their convictions.
The call was made by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola as part of measures to depopulate prisons across the nation.
Speaking at the Inauguration of the Osun State Command Headquarters complex of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Osogbo, Aregbesola reiterated the importance of closing the cases involving the inmates.
The minister further outlined three ways of depopulating the prisons, adding that governors could activate the wheel of justice. He also noted that many inmates had been in custody for a duration longer than the maximum sentence their alleged offences carry stating that it is a miscarriage of justice.
Aregbesola, while urging states to share in the burden of decongesting custodial facilities by constructing holding centres, added that all the states are expected to do is to build the facilities to specification and make available funds for the maintenance of inmates, while the NCS provided the “The
third way is for state governors to summon the will to do the needful on death row convicts. There are presently 3,008 condemned criminals waiting for their date with the executioners in our meagre custodial facilities. This consists of 2,952 males and 56 females.” He said,
“In cases where appeal has been exhausted and the convicts are not mounting any challenge to their conviction, the states should go ahead, one, to do the needful and bring closure to their cases; two, set some others free on compassionate grounds, especially those who have grown old on account of the long time they have been in custody, those who are terminally ill and those who have been reformed and demonstrated exceptionally good behaviour; and three, commute is others’ sentences to life or a specific term in jail.” He added.
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