By Abdulwahab Abdulah
LAGOS—African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ACHPR, has called on the Federal Government to prevail on the Edo State Government from carrying out the death sentence passed on two Nigerians, Daniel Nsofor and Osayinwinde Agbomien, while their appeal is still pending.
In a statement by the commission dated October 29, and signed by its chairperson, Dupe Atoki, it noted that it will be wrong for the state government to go ahead with the implementation of the death sentence imposed on the duo especially when their appeal is still pending.
The commission noted that the call is necessary since Nigeria is a signatory to a resolution calling on African States, still retaining the death penalty in their statute book “to observe a moratorium on the execution of death sentences with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
It added that the resolution forbids the application of “the death penalty in conditions not respectful of the right to a fair trial guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant international norms.”
Before now, a non governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project , SERAP, has filed a petition asking relevant authorities to prevail on the government of Edo State from executing the convicts.
ACHPR said : “The Nigerian Government is reminded that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 44th Ordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria, in November 2008 adopted a resolution calling on African States, including Nigeria, that still retain the death penalty to ‘observe a moratorium on the execution of death sentences with a view to abolishing the death penalty.’
“The said resolution also forbids the application of “the death penalty in conditions not respectful of the right to a fair trial guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant international norms”.
SOURCE: 30 October 2012.
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