NIGERIA: EDO HOUSE MOVES AGAINST DEATH PENALTY

in Nigeria, the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and member representing Esan South and Esan North at the House of Representatives, Abuja, Hon. Friday ltulah pledged to introduce the capital punishment amendment bill on the floor of the House. According to ltulah, the bill suffered defeat after its first reading on the floor of the House because members were ignorant of its advantages and that the bill reflects the global trend towards abolition. He said the bill seeks amongst others to amend the robbery and firearms law with a view to abolishing the death penalty and neutralising the extrajudicial killings of suspects in custody. The objective, he added, is to change the killing of armed robbery suspects via the death sentence to life imprisonment or a sentence to a prison term of 20 years.