An undergraduate
of sociology, Benue State University, Benue Nigeria Jacob Alongo was arraigned before
Makurdi High court, he was charged on two counts charge of conspiracy and robbery.
Jacob conspired
with two others to rob Mr. Stephen Akuma of his Toyota Camry and he was said to
have robbed other people at gun point. He was also alleged for robbing not less
than fifteen (15) people at the judges’ quarters in the state.
Jacob pleaded
not guilty to the charges against him, he testified for himself and with one
witness called by his counsel.
The prosecution
called seven witnesses and they all tendered evidence to corroborate the
charges against him.
He was sentenced
to death by hanging.
What is capital punishment?
Capital
punishment is simply described as death sentence, which is total execution of the
offender. Offences which attracts death penalty in Nigeria are Armed Robbery,
Murder, Treason, conspiracy to Treason, Fabricating false evidence against
another leading to that person’s conviction, kidnapping (Edo state), Aiding
suicide of a lunatic or a child, offences that contravenes the Armed Robbery
and Fire Arms decree No. 5 of 1984
The mode of
executing death sentence according to section 367 of the criminal procedure Act,
the punishment of death is inflicted by hanging the offenders by the neck till
he be dead.
In case where
the offender is a woman and pregnant at the time of execution, the law provide
under section 368(2) of the criminal procedure Act that the sentence of death
shall not be passed on her but in lieu thereof shall be sentenced to
imprisonment for life, the justification for this is because there are two
people if not more in this instance and the unborn child deserve to live and
neither was the child in any way connected with the offence.
Where the
offender is a young person, a young person for this purpose is any person who
has not attained the age of 17years at the time the offence was committed ,
death sentence shall not be pronounced or recorded against the child but such person
shall be detained during the pressure of the president.
There has been
outcry by the citizens on the need to expunge capital punishment from our law
because the essence of inflicting punishment on an offender and prospective
offender is for the punishment to serve as deterrent to them, and where an
offender is killed, how do you expect him to learn from the mistake.
Therefore I say
NO to capital punishment, what is your take on this as this blog visitor, lend
your voice against or in support of capital punishment.
Let us hear from
you.
Thank you.
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