Nigeria has 3823 Inmates on Death Rolls in Custodial Facilities Across The Country
A total of three thousand, eight hundred and twenty three (3823), inmates on death rolls (IDR) are awaiting execution across the correctional Facilities in the country.
According to figures released to our reporter by the deputy Comptroller DCC in-charge of media and public relations of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NcoS) Umar Abubakar Danlami DCC disclosed that out of which a total of three thousand seven hundred and forty two of them are male while eighty one female.
The figures indicate that Kano,Kaduna and Lagos have the highest numbers of the inmates with a total of 1,300 in Kano, 1,250 Kaduna with 2,55 in Lagos.
The inmates, according to our findings, are responsible for the jail breakers across the custodial facilities across the country.
Investigations conducted by this reporter revealed that the increase in the numbers of the inmates was attributed to the refusal of the state governors to sign their death warrants after being convicted and sentenced by various state high courts in the country since 1999 to date.
It was further gathered that it was only two former state governors of Kano and Edo states, Adams Oshomole and Ibrahim Shekarau that signed the death warrants of some death convicts.
It was also gathered that some of the convicted inmates on death rolls (IDR), are entitled to Challenge their convictions from the high courts to the appellate and supreme Court.
The delay in hearing the appeal at the appeal courts and supreme court was also responsible for their incarceration in the custodial Facilities while awaiting their execution.
Findings further revealed that the inmates while awaiting their execution to be signed through Warrant by their respective state governors lost their fates resorting to violence in the Custodial centers.
Some of the IDRs inmates were said to be aggressive in the delay for Signing their warrant by governors which according to a source in one of the custodial centre in Minna, the Niger State capital ” are the only inmates giving us headache in the facilities across the country”
” The money we spent on their feedings across the custodial Facilities in the country is even more than the money we spend on those serving various jail terms” a source who craves anonymity told our reporter.
Speaking in exclusive Interview with some Journalists in his office in Minna recently, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Niger State, Alhaji Nasiru Mua’zu confirmed that the delay and refusal of governors to sign death warrant of IDRs inmates was that they have right of appeal within three months of their conviction by the high courts.
According to the Attorney General,the delay in hearing the appeal court’s decision is one of the reasons that their warrant would not be sign by the state governor after their conviction and sentence by the high courts.
” These inmates on death rolls (IDRs), as you called them, have the right to go to appeal court to challenge the decision of their conviction in the high courts within three months of their conviction.
” As a result of the number of cases pending in the appeal courts, their cases may not be heard. It may take longer period before their own case can even be listed to be heard in the appellate court.
” After the appeal court, they can still go up to the supreme Court,again, in the supreme Court their case may suffer another period of delay. So is not as if the governor are refusing to sign the death warrant as you think.” he stated.
He attributed the whole delay to the administration of the Criminal Justice system in the country adding that the inmates have the right to challenge their conviction in the appeal courts and supreme Court which is their Constitutional right as convict
