NHRC and Australia Urge Nigeria to End Death Penalty

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Australian Government have called on the Nigerian federal government to formally halt executions, commute death sentences to life imprisonment, and reform capital punishment laws. This appeal comes as Nigeria approaches ten years without state executions, with over 3,500 inmates on death row.

During the 2026 World Day Against the Death Penalty commemoration in Abuja, NHRC Executive Secretary Chief Tony Ojukwu, represented by Hajia Rabi Anwar, urged the government to replace the informal suspension of executions with an official moratorium. Ojukwu also encouraged state governors to use their constitutional prerogative of mercy for inmates who have exhausted their appeals.

The NHRC highlighted issues within the criminal justice system, including inadequate legal representation and false confessions, which can lead to miscarriages of justice. Australia's High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda, supported these calls, emphasizing the need for broader legal reforms and the reduction of death penalty offenses.