NHRC Seeks Death Penalty Moratorium as 3,000 Inmates Languish On Death Row

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the federal government to declare an official moratorium on executions and state governors to commute eligible death sentences to life imprisonment, amid concerns that more than 3,000 inmates remain on death row across Nigeria.

The commission said Nigeria was approaching 10 consecutive years without a state execution, a development it described as meeting the international standard for a de facto moratorium, despite the continued imposition of death sentences and the prolonged detention of condemned inmates.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, made the call yesterday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 World Day Against the Death Penalty at the commission’s headquarters.

Ojukwu urged the federal government to formalise the suspension of executions, while calling on state governors to exercise their constitutional prerogative of mercy to commute death sentences, particularly in cases where inmates had exhausted their appeals but remained on death row.

He also advocated a review of laws prescribing mandatory death sentences, arguing that judges should have the discretion to consider mitigating circumstances and systemic vulnerabilities before determining appropriate punishment.

Although capital punishment remains constitutionally valid in Nigeria, the NHRC chief stressed that its administration must be consistent with the country’s human rights obligations and the fundamental principles of fair trial and due process.

He expressed concern that inadequate access to pro bono legal representation, forced confessions and delays in bringing suspects to trial continued to undermine procedural justice, raising questions about the fairness of proceedings in capital cases.

According to him, the protection of human rights requires more than the existence of legal provisions, insisting that the justice system must guarantee fair hearings and ensure that the death penalty is restricted to the most serious crimes in line with applicable international standards.

The commission outlined three immediate policy measures: an official moratorium on executions, the commutation of eligible death sentences to life imprisonment, and a comprehensive review of laws prescribing mandatory capital punishment.

Ojukwu’s appeal places renewed focus on the position of condemned inmates who have exhausted their legal options but remain in custody, as well as the wider implications of prolonged confinement on the administration of criminal justice.

A formal moratorium, the commission argued, would provide an immediate policy framework for suspending executions while the country considers broader reforms to its capital punishment regime.

The proposed review of mandatory death penalty provisions would also allow courts to take individual circumstances into account when sentencing offenders, rather than being compelled by law to impose the same punishment regardless of relevant mitigating factors.

The commemoration was organised by the NHRC in partnership with Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) France, the Australian High Commission and the Embassy of Germany, with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Ojukwu expressed hope that deliberations at the event would produce a joint call-to-action communiqué to advance sustainable reforms in Nigeria’s justice sector.

The commission’s position comes amid continuing debates over capital punishment, the protection of the rights of accused persons and the need to strengthen safeguards against miscarriages of justice.