Amnesty International seeks abolition of death penalty in Nigeria

BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu

Global rights group, Amnesty International, has launched an eight point human rights agenda, asking the Federal and State Governments to urgently implement recommendations from previous reports about human rights violations in Nigeria.

Amnesty International also asked for an abolition of death sentence and as well an end to torture as a means of extracting information from suspects during interrogations.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the country director of the human rights organization, Osai Ojigho maintained that both the Federal and State Governments need to do more to address cases of human rights abuses, adding that the new political dispensation provides politicians another opportunity.

Over the years, Amnesty International has documented reports about human rights abuses across Nigeria. Some of those reports are often very critical about the operations of government agencies especially the police and the Nigeria military.

At the news conference in Abuja, the human rights organization did not release a new report, but proposed eight point human rights agenda for the new political dispensation in Nigeria.

The organisation said it wanted government to end violence against women and girls, stop torture and abolish death penalty.

In line with the rights group’s request, many agree that the issue of torture as a means of extracting information from suspects should be abolished, however, many others disagree with the human rights organisation on their quest to abolish the death penalty.

Although many countries around the world have abolished capital punishment, death penalty is still practiced in some countries including China, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran. (Channels TV)