ABUJA — The Executive Director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, an NGO, Oluwafunke Adeoye, has described the death penalty as a failed, unjust, and dangerous punishment that worsens Nigeria’s flawed justice system, calling for its complete abolition.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Adeoye said that the death penalty does not deter crime and only reinforces a cycle of violence.
She stressed that the punishment disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including the poor, mentally ill, and marginalised individuals, who often lack access to proper legal representation.
“At Hope Behind Bars Africa, we are strongly against the use of the death penalty. It is irreversible, and in a system marked by flaws and human rights violations, the risk of executing an innocent person is unacceptably high,” she said.
Adeoye, who founded the organisation, noted that as a member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, HBBA campaigns for abolition, provides legal defence to death row inmates, pursues strategic litigation, and promotes broader criminal justice reforms in Nigeria.
Highlighting the trauma endured by death row inmates, she said many are left in mental and emotional agony for years, with some spending decades awaiting execution in dire prison conditions.
“Death row inmates face unimaginable emotional stress. Some remain in limbo for decades, not knowing if or when they’ll be executed. That level of uncertainty is cruel and dehumanising,” she said.
Adeoye argued that there is no credible evidence that capital punishment deters crime. On the contrary, she said, it denies the possibility of rehabilitation and instead promotes retribution.
“Studies consistently show that it has no deterrent effect. Instead, it perpetuates cycles of violence and denies people the opportunity for rehabilitation. Justice should be about fairness and transformation, not revenge,” she added.
Responding to arguments in favour of the death penalty for serious crimes such as murder and terrorism, Adeoye insisted that justice must not be based on vengeance, especially in a system where errors are common.
“Our justice system is fallible. Mistakes are made, investigations are sometimes flawed, confessions are often coerced, and access to effective legal defence is uneven. Applying an irreversible punishment like the death penalty in such a system is dangerous,” she said.
She further warned that the continued use of capital punishment in Nigeria constitutes a serious human rights concern, citing violations from arrest through trial and sentencing. She condemned the secrecy surrounding executions and the cruelty of the process.
“Our justice system is riddled with delays, corruption, and discrimination. In this context, hanging or lethally injecting someone amounts to state-sanctioned cruelty. Beyond the act of execution, the secrecy and inhumanity surrounding the process are deeply troubling,” she said.
Adeoye called for comprehensive reform in sentencing, with an emphasis on restorative justice and non-custodial measures that could reduce recidivism and ease prison congestion.
“We must move away from punitive approaches and focus more on rehabilitation. Alternatives like community service, suspended sentences, and proper reformation programmes within correctional centres should be prioritised,” she said.
She urged Nigerian authorities to reflect their international human rights obligations in domestic law, citing Nigeria’s ratification of global instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“These treaties promote the right to life and prohibit inhuman punishment. Our domestic policies should reflect these commitments,” she said.
Adeoye concluded that aligning national laws with international standards would help protect vulnerable citizens, strengthen the rule of law, and boost Nigeria’s global human rights image.
Hope Behind Bars Africa is a non-profit organisation that uses legal aid, advocacy, and technology to promote criminal justice reform and protect human rights in Nigeria.
