By Onozure Dania

Lagos—A civil society group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, has called on the Federal Government and state governors to reconsider their stand on the use of death penalty for punishment, noting that same should be replaced with life imprisonment.

Mr Chino Obiagwu, National Coordinator of LEDAP, who spoke at the launch of the group’s national office in Lekki, Lagos State, said: “Nigeria cannot continue to sentence innocent persons to death including juveniles,” adding that the country’s justice administration needs to be urgently reviewed.

Some former death row inmates, which LEDAP helped secure their release, also joined their voice in calling for the reform of the country’s legal administration, as many Nigerians are being arrested and forced by the police to admit to crime they did not commit, while many more are convicted for crimes they knew nothing about.