End Death Penalty, Germany, Australia, ASF France Urge Nigeria
*Laud Tinubu’s clemency move
Following widespread reactions to President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon, the governments of Germany and Australia, along with Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) France—also known as Lawyers Without Borders—have called for urgent action toward abolishing the death penalty in Nigeria.
The call came during the screening of a film titled “Just Mercy” in Abuja, organised by ASF France to mark the 2025 World Day Against the Death Penalty.
The two countries and the human rights organisation commended President Tinubu for commuting the sentences of seven death-row inmates to life imprisonment as part of his pardon granted to 175 persons across the country.
Speaking at the event, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, reiterated her country’s firm opposition to capital punishment, describing it as an affront to human dignity.
“We believe the death penalty is not only a legal matter; it touches on the core values of justice, human dignity, and the right to life,” Günther said.
“The irreversible nature of the death penalty means that mistakes and wrongful convictions can never be corrected. Germany abolished the death penalty more than 70 years ago, and we continue to advocate globally for its complete eradication.”
She urged the Nigerian government to take additional steps toward total abolition.
Also speaking, Mr. Neil Sanderson, Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian High Commission, reaffirmed his country’s unyielding stance against capital punishment.
“Australia’s position is clear—we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and continue to call for its global abolition,” he said.
“It is a cruel, inhumane, and ineffective punishment that undermines justice and human dignity. Encouragingly, global momentum is growing, and we welcome Nigeria’s consideration of abolition as part of its constitutional reform process.”
Sanderson noted that 144 countries worldwide are now abolitionist in law or practice, adding that several African nations—including Ghana, Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, and Zimbabwe—had recently abolished the death penalty.
The Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, stressed that the World Day Against the Death Penalty serves as a reminder that justice must never come at the cost of human life.
“It is a call to empathy, reflection, and action,” she said.
“ASF France reaffirms its commitment by providing legal assistance and support to people facing the death penalty through its network of pro bono lawyers.”
According to Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the organisation has so far supported more than 800 individuals on death row across 10 states in Nigeria, ensuring fair legal representation and humane treatment under the law.
She further noted that 26 African countries have abolished the death penalty, 14 still retain it, while 15 are classified as de facto abolitionists, signifying the continent’s steady progress toward ending the practice.
“The 2025 report from the Nigerian Correctional Service shows that there are still over 3,500 persons on death row in Nigeria—one of the largest death row populations in Sub-Saharan Africa,” she revealed.
“These figures highlight the urgency for sustained advocacy and reform to abolish the death penalty in Nigeria. ASF France stands with all those who believe that every life has value and that dignity, not death, should be at the heart of justice.”
She described President Tinubu’s commutation of seven death sentences to life imprisonment as “an encouraging step that reflects a growing recognition for a more humane justice system.”
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, represented by the Deputy Director, Legal, Pwadumdi Okoh, described the abolition of the death penalty as one of the most debated human rights issues globally.
“Human rights work is for everyone,” Ojukwu said.
“The issue of abolishing the death penalty remains one of the most contentious human rights issues of our time.”
