Lawyer calls for abrogation of death sentence

Capital punishment in Nigeria and 58 other countries that have ratified the death instrument has rather increased the rate of crime instead of its intended purpose, Barrister Justice Ahiakwo has said. In a researched discourse published in the latest edition of New Kingdom Trumpet, an ecclesiastical journal, Justice Ahiakwo who heads the Royal Legal Chambers […]

Capital punishment in Nigeria and 58 other countries that have ratified the death instrument has rather increased the rate of crime instead of its intended purpose, Barrister Justice Ahiakwo has said.
In a researched discourse published in the latest edition of New Kingdom Trumpet, an ecclesiastical journal, Justice Ahiakwo who heads the Royal Legal Chambers in Calabar, has therefore advocated for the abrogation of capital punishment.
He stated that the campaign to abrogate capital punishment has become global but that in many countries like China, USA, Nigeria, Indonesia where 60 per cent of the world’s population lives, they still enforce execution even when it is glaring that it is counter-productive.
Ahiakwo who is a bishop furthered his argument on the scriptural nominations (Matthew 26:52) that say whoever kills will himself or themselves be killed, for which reason he strongly campaigns for abrogation of the  death sentence because of its multiplier effects.
Ahiakwo said, for instance, that the act of terrorism has also elicited revenge all over the world.
“Since when criminals have been killed through legal means haven’t we seen that there has rather been upsurge in crimes in Nigeria and other countries?  Intended purpose of capital punishment has not yielded desired effect,” he said.
But he has expressed surprise that many leading countries have refused to see this point of reasoning as they continue to apply different methods to eliminate offenders.
“The world is at crossroads as the United Nations Resolution 2007 calling for global moratorium on execution is not eliciting desired response from the United States and other countries which did not assent to the resolutions,” he said.
Yet despite this, he said he is not alone in this campaign to abrogate death penalty, adding that this campaign has assumed a more global and spiritual dimension, and calls for support from Nigerians.
Bishop Ahiakwo said offenders should be shown love and forgiveness which in turn would reciprocate or trigger such attitude by them.