Nigeria’s death penalty dilemma: Crowd of convicts who won’t be sent to the gallows yet

Across the continent, 14 countries have utilised the death penalty in the last decade, 26 have abolished it, while 20 still allow it in law.

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Nigeria is facing a dilemma on what to do with death row inmates whose numbers has now reached 3,688, the result of a reluctant government on hanging the condemned.

The numbers are spread across the 36 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. Yet neither governor of these states nor the minister in charge of the capital have been willing to sign the death warrants, the legal documents authorising executions.