Nigeria
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The death penalty is provided for by the Criminal Code...
- News items in the archive
- 1,117
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Nigeria is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 1,117 news items on Nigeria, from 1999 to today.
In Nigeria the death penalty is provided for by the penal code and, in the northern states applying sharia law, also for offences such as apostasy and adultery. The methods provided for are hanging and shooting.
Sentences are numerous and death row is crowded, while actual executions are rare and concentrated in short periods. The archive follows sentences, executions and commutations.
Latest news
- JULY 30, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: BABA FUGU MOHAMMED SUMMARILY EXCUTED
in Nigeria, Boko Haram Leader Mohammed Yusuf's 72 year old father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, was also killed in police custody.
- JULY 30, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: BOKO HARAM LEADER, YUSUF, KILLED
Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram, was killed in custody just hours after police said they captured him in the city of Maiduguri.
- JULY 21, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: NBA AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE FOR KIDNAPPERS
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) advised states proposing death sentence as penalty for kidnapping offences to drop the idea in the interest of the country.
- JUNE 23, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: NIGERIAN GETS DEATH IN SOUTH CHINA
four people convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to death by the Dongguan Intermediate People's Court in south China's Guangdong Province
- JUNE 18, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS CAN'T WORK - NHRC
the Nigerian Human Rights Commission asked governors from the South East and South geopolitical zones to reconsider their position on the laws, which impose the death penalty on kidnappers.
- JUNE 16, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: KIDNAPPERS DESERVE DEATH PENALTY -IZUOGU
worried by the ceaseless cases kidnapping in the South East Geo-political Zone, notable politician and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Dr Ezekiel Izuogu, called for capital punishment for kidnappers
- JUNE 7, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: DEATH SENTENCE AWAITS KIDNAPPERS - OBI
determined to curb the rising cases of kidnapping in the South-East zone of Nigeria...
- JUNE 3, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: SHARIA COUNCIL CONDEMNS MOVE ON DEATH PENALTY
the Jigawa State chapter of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah in Nigeria condemned the current move by the House of Representatives to abolish capital punishment.
- JUNE 3, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: ASSEMBLY OKAYS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KIDNAPPERS
the Nigerian Delta State House of Assembly passed a law prescribing the death sentence for anyone who kidnaps another person with arms and life imprisonment for whoever commits the crime without arms.
- MAY 22, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: S'COURT AFFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE ON ARTISAN
the death sentence of Ibadan-based panel beater Emmanuel Olabode for burning apprentice Kehinde Omotanwa to death was unanimously affirmed by the Nigerian Supreme Court.
MAY 22, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: MINISTER SEEKS TO RELEASE PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW TO DECONGEST PRISONS
as part of measures to decongest the nation's prisons, the Nigerian government was
- MAY 14, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: AKPABIO SIGNS ANTI-KIDNAPPING LAW
in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio assented to the anti-kidnapping law which spelt death penalty for offenders.
- MAY 8, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: NIGERIAN NATIONAL EXECUTED FOR RAPE
a Nigerian national was executed in Saudi Arabia after being found guilty of sexually
- MAY 8, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: AMNESTY INT'L CONDEMNS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
Amnesty International (AI) condemned the Law passed by the Imo State House of Assembly in Nigeria, stipulating the death penalty for anyone convicted for kidnapping or whose premises was used by a kidnapper to hold someone hostage.
- MAY 4, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: KIDNAPPERS TO FACE DEATH PENALTY IN IMO
the Imo State House of Assembly in Owerri, Nigeria, passed a bill into law prohibiting hostage-taking and other related offences.
- MAY 4, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: LAGOS PSN OPPOSES CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR FAKE DRUG OFFENDERS
the Lagos State branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, criticised a call for the introduction of capital punishment for fake drug dealers.
- MAY 1, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: DELTA ASSEMBLY CONSIDERS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
the Delta state House of Assembly in Nigeria is considering the death penalty for kidnapping while armed with a weapon.
- APRIL 28, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA. NEW CP ADVOCATES DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mr Micheal Zuokomor, advocated the death penalty for kidnapping.
- APRIL 23, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: NIGERIAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Nigerian national Chibuzor Vitus Ezekwem was executed in China after being found
- APRIL 13, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: BISHOP OPPOSES DEATH SENTENCE FOR KIDNAPPERS
the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Metropolitan Archdiocese in Nigeria, Dr Matheaw Ndagoso, said that he was opposed to death sentence as a punishment for kidnapping in the country.
- MARCH 31, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: ANYAOKU, IG, OTHERS OPPOSE DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
in Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mike Okiro, and former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, opposed capital punishment for kidnappers.
MARCH 31, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: FG COMMUTED 45 DEATH SENTENCES IN 2008
the Nigerian Minister of the Interior, Godwin Abbe, said the Federal Government
MARCH 22, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: 200 INMATES ON DEATH ROW
Minister of Interior, Major-General Godwin Abbe (rtd), said in Abuja that close to 200
MARCH 17, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: ANAMBRA ASSEMBLY PRESCRIBES DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING
the Anambra State House of Assembly in Nigeria passed a bill
- MARCH 2, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: KIDNAPPERS: AMAECHI EXPLAINS STANCE TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Nigerian Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, explained to Amnesty International why kidnapping should attract capital punishment
- FEBRUARY 20, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS CALL ON STATE GOVERNMENTS TO REFRAIN FROM EXTENDING SCOPE OF DEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International, the Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Institute (NBAHRI) and Nigerian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) called on Nigeria's state governments to refrain from extending the scope of the death penalty to include crimes such as
- FEBRUARY 19, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR OIL THEFT
Lawmakers in Rivers State and Enugu State of Nigeria have endorsed capital punishment for persons
- FEBRUARY 19, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: KIDNAPPING - ENUGU ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Enugu House of Assembly passed a law making kidnapping with the use of a gun,
- FEBRUARY 17, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: WHY I SUPPORT DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
in Nigeria, Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, said that he will sign into law the bill meting out capital punishment for kidnappers, once it is passed into law by the State legislature.
- FEBRUARY 12, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: NAFDAC DG SEEKS DEATH PENALTY FOR FAKE DRUG DEALERS
only the death penalty can stem the tide of fake drugs in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) argued.