The Quality of justice is strained, the death penalty in Nigeria

There is no doubt that over the past fifty years a global trend has emerged towards the abolition of the death penalty. Spread over the world including some African countries, many scholars and advocates find the death penalty a violation of the international human rights standards. The aim of this paper is to contribute in showing with practical illustrations that it is important for Nigeria to have a rethink as regards the imposition of the death sentence. Indeed, it may be argued that in any society where the government uses or supports the use of violence - whether or not through its legal system - it fosters the growth of a culture of violence.