Shehu Sani Advocates for Review of Death Row Cases

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has urged a review of the cases of nearly 4,000 Nigerians currently on death row, many of whom have been awaiting execution for over 30 years, dating back to the military era. Sani highlighted the security and management challenges posed by the prolonged detention of these inmates in correctional facilities.

He noted that no governor is willing to sign execution orders, nor are they commuting sentences. Citing Section 12(2)(c) of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, he pointed out that a chief judge may commute a death sentence to life imprisonment if the convict has exhausted all legal avenues of appeal and the sentence has remained unexecuted for 10 years.

Sani emphasized the need for fresh reviews of these cases to ease the burden on correctional authorities and suggested that the correctional services could advise the government on inmates eligible for clemency. His statements reflect ongoing concerns regarding the management of inmates on death row in Nigeria.