Federal legislators in Nigeria are backing Edo
State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomole’s decision to approve the execution of two
condemned criminals notwithstanding national and international outrage that has
followed the approval.
Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Judiciary, Dr. Ali Ahmad, told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday that the Edo State helmsman was right to have signed the execution order as it is still part of Nigeria’s law and any condemnation of the decision was a condemnation of the nation’s laws.
Ali, who made this submission in Ilorin, Kwara State during an interview with newsmen shortly after donating a transformer and electrical poles worth about N5m to Duma community, Oja-gboro, Ilorin and a block of three classrooms to Isale-Asa LGEA primary school, Ilorin, asked the international agencies to back off and allow Nigeria implement its law “since death penalty is still part of Nigeria legal document”.
He insisted that the position of the House of Representatives on the controversial issue is that, “Edo Governor was right to sign the execution of the two condemned prisoners” as he ruled out any arbitrariness in the decision of the Edo State governor on the controversial matter.
The federal lawmaker pointed out the fact that the same Oshiomole had earlier granted two condemned prisoners amnesty and commuted the sentence of another one to life jail, adding that, “while two others whose execution order is causing ripples were said to have committed grievous offence which precludes them from governor’s leniency”.
His words: “The position of the House is that death penalty is still part of our law in Nigeria and anybody that is saying that death penalty should not be carried out is saying that the law of the country should not be implemented.
So, on that score, I disagree with them. On a personal note as a lawyer, let me put a caveat that for now, I support death penalty on principle, because those who oppose it opposed it on principle. What they say is that death penalty is inhuman punishment but we disagree with them.
Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Judiciary, Dr. Ali Ahmad, told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday that the Edo State helmsman was right to have signed the execution order as it is still part of Nigeria’s law and any condemnation of the decision was a condemnation of the nation’s laws.
Ali, who made this submission in Ilorin, Kwara State during an interview with newsmen shortly after donating a transformer and electrical poles worth about N5m to Duma community, Oja-gboro, Ilorin and a block of three classrooms to Isale-Asa LGEA primary school, Ilorin, asked the international agencies to back off and allow Nigeria implement its law “since death penalty is still part of Nigeria legal document”.
He insisted that the position of the House of Representatives on the controversial issue is that, “Edo Governor was right to sign the execution of the two condemned prisoners” as he ruled out any arbitrariness in the decision of the Edo State governor on the controversial matter.
The federal lawmaker pointed out the fact that the same Oshiomole had earlier granted two condemned prisoners amnesty and commuted the sentence of another one to life jail, adding that, “while two others whose execution order is causing ripples were said to have committed grievous offence which precludes them from governor’s leniency”.
His words: “The position of the House is that death penalty is still part of our law in Nigeria and anybody that is saying that death penalty should not be carried out is saying that the law of the country should not be implemented.
So, on that score, I disagree with them. On a personal note as a lawyer, let me put a caveat that for now, I support death penalty on principle, because those who oppose it opposed it on principle. What they say is that death penalty is inhuman punishment but we disagree with them.
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