“It is irreversible, and in a system marked by flaws and human rights violations, the risk of executing an innocent person is unacceptably high.”
In an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja, Oluwafunke Adeoye, Executive Director of Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA), condemned the death penalty as ineffective and unjust. She described it as a harmful practice that exacerbates existing failures in Nigeria’s justice system and violates fundamental human rights.
Ms. Adeoye highlighted that capital punishment is often applied disproportionately against vulnerable groups, including the poor and mentally ill. “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. She also noted that inmates languishing for years on death row suffer severe psychological trauma.
As a member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, HBBA campaigns for abolition, offers legal aid to those facing capital punishment, and advocates for broader reforms. Adeoye argued there is no empirical evidence suggesting the death penalty deters crime, emphasizing that justice should promote fairness and rehabilitation rather than vengeance.
She urged Nigerian authorities to align domestic policies with international human rights obligations and called for reforms promoting non-custodial sentences and restorative justice. “Such reforms will ease prison overcrowding, reduce reoffending, and reshape the public perception of justice as a tool for restoration, not just punishment,” she added.