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 15, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA. AMNESTY INT'L WANTS YAR’ADUA TO END CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Amnesty International asked Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to suspend the execution of hundreds of convicts presently on death row pending the abrogation of the death penalty from the nation’s statute book.
JULY 10, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. HOUSE INSISTS ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
the Nigerian House of Representatives rejected a bill, which sought to amend
- JULY 7, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
three Nigerian members of parliament stepped...
three Nigerian members of parliament stepped...
- JUNE 30, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
the Delta State High court in Owa-Oyibu...
the Delta State High court in Owa-Oyibu...
JUNE 26, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA. TWO NIGERIANS EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
two Nigerians were executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking, officials said. Samuel Okoye,
- JUNE 20, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
a High Court in Kano, Nigeria...
a High Court in Kano, Nigeria...
JUNE 10, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. 60 CITIZENS ON DEATH ROW IN INDONESIA
no fewer than 60 Nigerian nationals are on the death row over drug- related offences
- JUNE 1, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: FG APPEALS TO INDONESIA OVER TWO NIGERIANS ON DEATH ROW
the Nigerian Federal Government pleaded to Indonesia Authorities to spare the lives of two Nigerians awaiting execution in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
- JUNE 1, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA. REPS SEEK END TO DEATH PENALTY
capital punishment may soon be expunged from Nigeria's statutes book if members
- MAY 1, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: REV KING'S APPEAL SUFFERS SETBACK
attempts by the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Isolo, Lagos, Emeka Ezeugo, alias Dr Rev King, to introduce additional grounds of appeal in the appeal he filed before the Court of Appeal in Lagos suffered serious setback as the c
- APRIL 30, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: ‘DRUG PEDDLERS SHOULD BE EXECUTED’
Muhammed JubrilAlhaji Muhammad Jibril, the commander of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Nigeria, said that he preferred the death penalty for drug trafficking to a jail sentence.
APRIL 25, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE
the Supreme Court in Lagos, Nigeria, confirmed the death sentence of Abdullahi Ada, who, eight years ago,
- APRIL 21, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MURDER CONVICT TO DIE BY HANGING AFTER 18 YRS
a panel of five justices of the Lagos Supreme Court in Nigeria okayed death by hanging for Basil Akpa for slitting the throat of his guest, Ikechukwu Njoku, 18 years ago, in his shop located at Jibia in Katsina State before dismembering him in order to ma
- APRIL 13, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in Saudi
two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in Saudi
- MARCH 6, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
there are 784 inmates held in "tiny, dark and filthy" cells on death row in Nigeria,
there are 784 inmates held in "tiny, dark and filthy" cells on death row in Nigeria,
- FEBRUARY 28, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
a Sokoto High court in Nigeria sentenced Mohammed Ladan to death by hanging
a Sokoto High court in Nigeria sentenced Mohammed Ladan to death by hanging
FEBRUARY 23, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING IN KATSINA STATE
An upper Sharia Court in Dutsin-ma in Katsina State in northern
FEBRUARY 15, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. SIX SHARIAH CONVICTS AWAIT STONING DEATH IN BAUCHI
six people convicted by Islamic Shariah courts in a
JANUARY 29, 2008PakistanDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. NIGERIAN WOMAN AND PAKISTANI BEHEADED
a Nigerian woman and a Pakistani man were executed in the Muslim holy city of
- JANUARY 1, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
The Nigerian Constitution states at Part II...
The Nigerian Constitution states at Part II...
- DECEMBER 28, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES THREE TO DEATH BY HANGING
the Kano state High Court in Nigeria sentenced three suspected murderers to death by hanging for conspiracy, robbery and the murder of a man named Manu Mariri.
DECEMBER 27, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIAN STATE REFUTES AI'S SECRET EXECUTION CHARGE
authorities in the northern Nigerian state of Kano rejected Amnesty International's recent accusation
- DECEMBER 20, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: STOP EXECUTIONS, ADOPT A MORATORIUM
Nigerian NGOs and Amnesty International express serious concerns about reports of the executions of several prisoners on death row in Nigerian prisons and call for an immediate moratorium.
- DECEMBER 18, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
Nigeria voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
Nigeria voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
DECEMBER 17, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. GOVERNMENT MISLEADS WORLD ABOUT DEATH PENALTY RECORD
Amnesty International revealed that secret executions have been taking
NOVEMBER 22, 2007LibyaDEATH PENALTYLIBYA. FOUR NIGERIANS EXECUTED
according to a Nigerian recently deported from Libya, who wished to remain
- OCTOBER 12, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: RIGHTS LAWYER LOBBIES AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
Olawale Fapohunda, a leading human rights lawyer in Nigeria, called for a formal moratorium on executions and a speedy end to capital punishment in Nigeria.
- OCTOBER 5, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TWO DEATH SENTENCES FOR MURDER
a full panel of the Supreme Court in Abuja, Nigeria, upheld the death by hanging
OCTOBER 2, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA. EBONYI, KATSINA, SOKOTO PARDON 86 PRISONERS
three states in Nigeria- Ebonyi, Katsina and Sokoto - released a total of 86
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2007NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: NGO COALITION ASKS ASSEMBLY TO PASS DEATH PENALTY BILL INTO LAW
a coalition of local and international non governmental organisations called on the Nigerian National Assembly to immediately pass into law the draft Death Penalty Moratorium Bill, submitted to it by the Human Rights Law Service in order to stop execution