By Ibironke Ariyo
Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA), a non-governmental organization, says the proposed death penalty for offenders will not solve the underlying problems associated with drug-related crimes.
The Director General, Oluwafunke Adeoye, made this known while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Drug Day is celebrated around the world on June 26 every year and the theme for 2024 is: “The evidence is clear; Invest in prevention.”
Adeoye said the proposal would only divert attention and resources from more effective strategies such as harm reduction and rehabilitation.
He said several comprehensive studies and reports have highlighted the lack of a significant deterrent effect associated with the death penalty for drug trafficking.
He also said Amnesty International analysis found that countries with high execution rates for drug-related crimes, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, still face serious drug problems.
He added that an analysis of data from Southeast Asia, including countries such as Singapore and Indonesia, shows that the death penalty has not led to a significant reduction in drug trafficking.
According to her, Nigeria has been a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) since 1993.
“Article 6 of the treaty states that “in countries that have not abolished the death penalty, it may be imposed only for the most serious crimes, by the law in force at the time the crime was committed.”
“These are typically intentional homicide cases where drug-related crimes do not meet the threshold.
“Furthermore, on January 23, 2024, at the Universal Periodic Review, the Government of Nigeria, represented by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi SAN, informed the United Nations and the world that there is a voluntary moratorium on sentencing of death. in Nigeria.
“The proposal to include the death penalty for drug offenses contradicts the position taken by the Nigerian government during the recently concluded Universal Periodic Review (UPR),” he said.
Adeoye said the death penalty inherently carries the risk of irreversible injustice, adding that in any judicial system, the possibility of wrongful convictions poses a serious threat to justice.
However, she said this risk is significantly higher in systems facing significant challenges, such as Nigeria, which the National Assembly has recently actively addressed.
They believe that the death penalty perpetuates a cycle of violence and undermines the value of human life. There is a global trend to abolish the death penalty, particularly for non-violent crimes.
“One reason for this is that scientific evidence and modern criminology suggest that addressing the root causes of crime, such as poverty, lack of education and social inequality, are the real deterrents, rather than relying on harsh punitive measures.” ”.
“There is also an increasing emphasis on rehabilitation and restorative justice rather than retribution.
“This approach is more consistent with our constitutionally guaranteed human rights principles and aims to reduce recidivism.
“Nigeria has also moved from retributive justice to restorative justice through some of its recent laws such as the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015,” he said.
Adeoye emphasized that by imposing the death penalty for drug offenses, Nigeria would buck the global trend and its recent developments.
This, he said, would be achieved by joining a shrinking minority of 34 countries that maintain such harsh penalties for drug-related crimes and the third African country to do so.
NAN reports that the Senate on May 10 approved the death penalty for drug offenders.
Lawmakers proposed a death penalty for anyone found guilty to deter drug offenders.
The death penalty won’t stop drug crimes – HBBA
