Ogun Govt To Execute Death Row Inmates To Deter Crime

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Ogun State’s high crime rate prompted the state government to declare on Friday that it is considering signing execution warrants for condemned criminals who have been sentenced by appropriate courts.

The administration claims that this action will discourage others from committing horrible acts within the state.

This was announced by Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, following an inspection of the facilities and detainees at the Correctional Centre in Ibara, Abeokuta.

The increase in violent crimes in the state in recent years, like as ritual killings, cultism, and kidnapping, has alarmed Ogungbade.

He underlined that the state administration is ready to respond decisively by executing the law and issuing death orders.

He said: “I can tell you that we are seriously considering sending a strong message that Ogun State is not a place where you can commit such serious crimes and get away with it.

“The law, as it stands today, stipulates that offenses like murder attract the death penalty, among others. However, if you look at it nationally, there has been a reluctance by state governments, particularly since the advent of democratic rule, to sign death warrants. But I assure you that we are now looking very seriously at following the law to the letter.

“It is part of the governor’s duty to sign death warrants, and I am certain that when he took the oath of office, he fully understood the responsibilities that come with it. He is a governor who upholds the rule of law, so I assure you that in deserving cases, he will not shy away from this constitutional duty.

“Though I may not provide a timeline, I can only say that in deserving cases, which we are currently reviewing, it will happen.

“If someone has gone through the process of a fair trial and exhausted all appeals, we will seriously consider implementing those judgments, hoping it serves as a deterrent to others who might intend to carry out similar crimes. However, I assure you we will be systematic and not reckless about it.”

He added that the current administration has made great strides in reducing life sentences to fixed terms, changing death sentences to life imprisonment, providing amnesty to those who had previously been given the death penalty, and making sure that punishment acts as a deterrent.

The commissioner blamed a collapse in moral values and family members’ backing of criminals for the increase in criminal activities. According to him, this is contrary to African values, which forbid criminal activity and call for the punishment of violators.

Ogungbade went on to say that he had come to the Correctional Centre to make sure everything was operating as it should and that prisoners were not being treated inhumanely.

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