Judges, lawyers kick against capital punishment

High court judges, practising lawyers and Christian leaders have risen against capital punishment in Nigeria, insisting that such clause be outrightly removed from every law statue in the country. They insisted that capital punishment has outlived its time and was no longer garnering the desired objective of discouraging potential offenders, making such crimes to blossom […]

High court judges, practising lawyers and Christian leaders have risen against capital punishment in Nigeria, insisting that such clause be outrightly removed from every law statue in the country.
They insisted that capital punishment has outlived its time and was no longer garnering the desired objective of discouraging potential offenders, making such crimes to blossom uncontrollably.
The proponents had their annual convention/dinner at the weekend in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, under the name of International Lawyers Fellowship of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star which has registered membership of over 500 Christian lawyers.
They spoke on the theme: “Revolutionising the Justice System in Nigeria: Capital Punishment and The Divine Prerogative of Mercy.”
They contended that many countries have abolished capital punishment, adding that the law itself went against God’s express order: Thou shall not kill.
Chairman of the group, a high court judge in Akwa Ibom State, Bishop Archibong E. Archibong, condemned such punitive measure, calling on the National Assembly to expunge it from the laws.
He said: “As a judge, whenever I am faced with the task of giving death verdict on a convicted person, I usually would not sleep well for weeks. Capital punishment is against commandment of God. It must be done away with. When armed robbery, for instance, did not attract death penalty it was not as rampant as now. Even judges have sins, too.”
The lead paper presenter, Barrister Chris Amadike, spoke on the topic: “Capital Punishment and the Divine Prerogative of Mercy,” saying that the conference served as a guide to reposition the country’s legal system towards reforming the human conduct.
He argued that  capital punishment has not been able to solve the problems it was enacted to solve. “Thousands of persons have been convicted, sentenced to death and executed in this and other countries for heinous crimes but that has not deterred others from committing same offences.”
Prof Onoyom Ukpong, from the State University of New York, posited that most crimes were perpetrated by people who were not familiar with the law, canvassing for mandatory free education of children from primary to secondary and intensive enlightenment of people about the law.