The lawyers without borders group says Nigeria has the highest number of persons on death row, and it is not relenting in its call on governments to join other African countries including Ghana in abolishing death penalty as a punishment in its laws.
The facilitators of this intensive training are fellows of the Makwanyane Institute, Cornell University, New York .
The institute was named after the 1995 landmark judgment of the South African Constitutional Court, which presided over the decision abolishing the death penalty in South Africa.
Nigeria is classified as a retentionist nation as offences such as murder, or acts resulting in death or terrorism, kidnapping, treason, apostacy, adultery, same sex sexual relations and mutiny carry the death penalty under the extant laws of the land.
The Nigerian Correctional Service said in april 2023 that there are about 3,298 inmates on the death row in Nigerian prisons, with the last executions said to have done on three convicted armed robbers in Edo state in 2016.
Among the reasons to end it, activists say the death penalty violates the right to life, and that it is irrevocable in the event of new evidence.
Observers say the death penalty is disproportionally used against disadvantaged people who cannot afford high class legal services , which can lead to miscarriage of justice.
They also stress the need to foster relationship amongst capital defence lawyers, sharpen their skills and to create their commitment to free legal services.
these advocates also call for a justice system that will be fully reformatory and geared towards restoration.
