The Nigerian Correctional Service has revealed that Ogun and Rivers States have the highest number of inmates on death row, with a staggering 3,833 condemned prisoners currently awaiting execution across Nigeria’s correctional facilities. This revelation comes amid growing concerns about prison overcrowding and the justice system’s slow pace in addressing capital punishment cases.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Umar, debunked widespread claims circulating online that states like Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos have the highest number of death row inmates. He clarified that official records paint a different picture.
According to Umar, Ogun State leads with 568 inmates sentenced to death, followed closely by Rivers with 504. Enugu comes next with 328, while Lagos and Delta have 314 and 256 respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, states such as Osun, Ebonyi, Oyo, Kogi, and Anambra have significantly lower numbers, with Osun recording no death row inmates at all.
He attributed the disparities to a combination of factors, including varying crime rates, differences in state judicial proceedings, and the frequency with which governors sign execution warrants or grant clemency. The variation, he said, reflects the complex interplay between law enforcement, legal systems, and executive discretion in each state.
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Umar highlighted the immense challenges associated with managing the country’s death row population. With over 3,800 inmates on death row, representing nearly 5% of the total prison population of 81,558, the Correctional Service grapples with overcrowded cells and mounting costs. The burden is even more striking given that only 24,252 inmates are actually convicted, while a staggering 53,473 are still awaiting trial, making up over 66% of the entire inmate population.
While declining to disclose the number of available executioners, Umar noted that state governments periodically review cases through special mercy committees. He added that many death row inmates are actively participating in educational and vocational training programs, a strategic effort to ensure they remain productive rather than become idle and mentally distressed as they await their fate.
The data, now made public, casts a renewed spotlight on Nigeria’s criminal justice system, raising critical questions about reform, rehabilitation, and the future of capital punishment in Africa’s most populous nation.