ASFF renews call to end death penalty

The Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASFF), also known as Lawyers Without Borders, has renewed the call for an end to capital punishment under Nigeria’s penal laws. This position is contained in a statement signed by the Head of Office in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu, at the end of a two-day virtual training for lawyers to mark […]

The Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASFF), also known as Lawyers Without Borders, has renewed the call for an end to capital punishment under Nigeria’s penal laws.

This position is contained in a statement signed by the Head of Office in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu, at the end of a two-day virtual training for lawyers to mark the 18th World Day Against The Death Penalty, which had the theme ‘Access To Counsel: A Matter Of Life Or Death’.

“While the world continues to move away from the use of this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, countries such as Nigeria that still retain it in their laws are urged to ensure that persons facing the death penalty receive the best form of quality and effective legal representation,” she said.

She said the specialised training was part of ASFF’s contribution to the effective representation of capital cases in Nigeria to support lawyers under the SAVING LIVES project – SALI, has equipped lawyers to provide pro bono legal aid to 149 persons facing the death penalty across seven states of the country.

According to her, between 2018 and 2020 ASF France has trained 59 capital defence lawyers in Nigeria with the latest batch between 7 and 8 October 2020 in a debut virtual training session for 20 Nigerian lawyers with the Support of the French Embassy in Nigeria.