Death Row Inmates Increase to 3,688 as Governors Halt Executions

Death Row Inmates Increase to 3,688 as Governors Halt Executions

The number of prisoners on death row in Nigeria has risen from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025, reflecting a 2.73% increase over six months. This surge has been attributed to state governors refusing to execute the prisoners or commute their death sentences to life imprisonment, contributing to overcrowding in correctional facilities………READ MORE

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), led by Acting Controller-General Sylvester Nwakuche, has expressed concerns about the slow justice process and urged greater collaboration with agencies like the Nigeria Police, DSS, EFCC, and ICPC to address the issue of awaiting trials, which is a major cause of congestion in prisons.

Nwakuche called for a strategic approach to decongest prisons by considering commutation of death sentences, which would facilitate a more balanced distribution of inmates across rural and urban correctional facilities. He emphasized that collaboration between various agencies is crucial to improving the justice system and reducing the number of prisoners awaiting trial.