The National Assembly in their resolution endorsed death penalty for the perpetrators of terror acts in Nigeria. These developments have brought the lawmakers to have awaked the ante on the fight against terrorists.
Meanwhile, well-know lawyers, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), Femi Falana( SAN), Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) and Alasa Ismaila yesterday gave contrary views over the adoption of death penalty by the federal lawmakers for terror acts in the country.
Interviewing with some of the lawyers of their opinions on the death penalty passed by NASS, few supported the position of the lawmakers as long it’s generally applied to all offenders, and not selectively used against ‘enemies’ of the government in power.
Others were of the view that the National Assembly was not well informed on the world-wide clamour for the abolition of death penalty in nation’s penal law.
Ahamba said, “I have never advocated for the abolition of death penalty in our penal laws; therefore I strongly support the position of the National Assembly. If I were a member of the National Assembly, I would have voted for its adoption for those convicted for terrorism acts.”
Falana on his part said that while terrorism is bad and intolerable in the society, the death penalty was not an antidote to terrorism.
“It is a proven fact,” he said, “that death penalty has never been able to curb violent crime in any society. It even has a way of escalating such crimes in the state. I advise President Goodluck Jonathan not to sign the bill into law because it is going to embarrass the country that has earlier given its word to the world that it would maintain moratorium on execution of death sentences in the country.
“What happens to those already in the custody or on trial? Are we going to back date the law just as was done during Buhari/Idiagbon era?”
Akinlaja shares the same view with Falana. “Death penalty did not curb armed robbery in the country and it is more likely that this will do nothing to deter terrorists who are in most cases on suicide mission.
“How do you expect somebody who has made up his mind to kill people as well as himself become disturbed with death penalty in the event of being held alive? I am not sure if this will not escalate terrorism in the country,” he said.
But Ismaila believes that the adoption of death penalty is justified, as long as it is not abused to settle political scores.
“I don’t believe in the so-called worldwide clamour for the abolition of death penalty,” he said. “It all depends on the nature of crime. Terrorism is about the highest crime all over the world against humanity. I support it provided it is not used in the long run against perceived enemies of the government in power.”
-iPaidaBribe