Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A group, Hope Beyond Bars Africa (HBBA) has given a shocking revelation about Nigeria, saying that 82 women have been sentenced to death in the last 10 months.
The report also indicated that the victims were between 18 and 35, adding that over one-third of the women have no formal education, only 10 percent attained tertiary education.
Founder of the Hope Beyond Bars Africa, Oluwafunke Adeoye, who presented the report, titled “Beyond Her Silence: A Technical Analysis of Gender and Capital Punishment,” in Abuja, said the report was supported by World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, an Agence Fraçaise de Dévelopment (AFD).
She emphasized that most of the women had experienced gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, forced marriage and child marriage.
According to her, many lacked awareness of the law under which they were charged, and more than half considered their trials non-transparent.
X-raying the process of the findings and the cooperation of the Nigerian Correctional Services, Adeoye said, “We accessed 10 facilities across the country, verified official figures of 82 women on death row and conducted trauma-informed interviews with 60 women across 10 states.
“These facilities include: Old Benin Custodial Centre, Kirikiri Female Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt Maximum Security Correctional Centre, Ibara Custodial Center, Abeokuta, Kano Central Medium Security Custodial Centre, Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Maiduguri, Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Enugu, Medium Correctional Facility, Birnin Kebbi, Old Minna, Suleja Custodial Centre and Uyo.”
She however kicked against death sentences, calling for the abolition of such a sentence.
“More than statistics, these are lives disrupted, families broken, and communities affected. Women on death row endure compounded vulnerabilities and systemic injustices that the death penalty exacerbates rather than alleviates.
“Interestingly, more than 80% of the women interviewed believe rehabilitation is possible, many had been exposed to vocational skills within the correctional facility, believing that death penalty as a sentence where neither just nor effective.
“Key Informants, including representatives from the Nigerian Correctional Service, civil society organizations, defense counsel, and other stakeholders, provided critical insights and recommendations.
“Building on these perspectives, the report identifies urgent and actionable steps necessary to address the systemic challenges faced by women on death row and to advance gender-sensitive justice in Nigeria,” she added.
On her part, Assistant Controller of Corrections Gender Advisor to the Controller General of Corrections, Adenike Sheyindemi, admonished the parents and the media to sensitise their loved ones on the danger of crimes that could lead to death sentence.