Those Who Praise Public Executions Haven't Seen One
by Ken Udoibok
Those who seek public executions as a means of implementing the death penalty would reconsider their position if they were to witness any execution firsthand.
I was 13 years old on a Saturday morning in 1973. While my parents were at work, I sneaked away from my home in Lagos, Nigeria. I was going to the beach. Not for fun or frolicking in the sun, but for a far more serious reason: I was going to witness an execution.
The sun beat down furiously that morning, but by 1 that afternoon, a dark cloud had formed over the beach. A large crowd stood by somberly as two army trucks and a black van drove onto the beach. I squeezed my way through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the infamous man being transported in the black van. Oyenusi, a notorious armed robber, had robbed banks and businesses in Nigeria for many years.
Three soldiers walked up to the black van and stood at attention. One of them yelled a command. Suddenly, the door of the vehicle was flung open. Slowly, Oyenusi appeared, his hands tied behind his back. He wore a dark long-sleeved shirt, dark loafers and wrinkled trousers. He was sweating profusely, his glance furtive as if he expected to see someone. He continued to scan the crowd as the soldiers tied him to a stick.
"Who's he looking for?" one of the spectators whispered to a friend.
Seven soldiers formed a line facing Oyenusi. An officer yelled a command and, in unison, the soldiers took aim at Oyenusi.
"Fire!"
Oyenusi shuddered as the bullets riddled his body. Moments later, his lifeless body slumped over the rope that held him to the stick.
Nightmares
For a long time after, I experienced recurring nightmares of firing squads. Many nights I awoke in a cold sweat. I was frequently anxious. I never realized what a serious impact the experience of seeing the execution of Oyenusi would have on me. After months of nightmares and anxiety, I promised myself that I would never again willingly observe an execution.
I kept this promise until I turned 19. Max, a distant cousin and close friend, was to be executed on a Saturday, just as Oyenusi had been.
Max was a popular and well-liked teenager from a prominent family. His father was a renowned trade unionist who later became a leader of the Nigerian House of Representatives. Max and I had attended the same grade and high schools and had played on the same soccer team. Our houses were barely a block apart.
After high school, Max befriended the wrong people. He and his friends robbed a liquor store. During the robbery, one of Max's cohorts pulled a gun -- the penalty for which, although no one was hurt, is death by firing squad. Max claimed he hadn't known that his friend carried a gun. It made no difference.
Because many people felt Max's punishment didn't fit his crime, there were not many onlookers present at his execution. In spite of the promise I had made to myself, I once again made my way to the beach. I had to see my friend. I had to say goodbye for the last time.

Again, I watched as the soldiers bound my friend to the stick, just as they had Oyenusi in 1973. Max turned and looked at me standing barely 10 feet away from him. I didn't know what to do. I wished I could free him. As if he could read my mind, with both hands in handcuffs, he waved at me, telling me not to worry.
The soldiers took their positions. They took aim.
"Fire!"
Max shook violently as bullets pelted him. His body was riddled with bullet holes; his shirt was soaked with blood. His hooded head shifted to one side, as if he took one last glance before he died.
Again, I was bombarded by violent images of the execution in my sleep. Today, I am still conflicted by the images of the end of life through executions.
Deterrence?
With the impending execution of Timothy McVeigh, albeit not by a firing squad, a number of people desire that his execution be televised with the belief that public executions deter violent crimes. Do they?
Most advocates of public execution have never witnessed one. In the United States, executions are carried out behind closed doors, with an anonymous executioner pulling the lever, not in front of a firing squad with a gawking crowd looking on.
If those who support public executions were to experience the horror of actually witnessing an execution, they would forever question the rationale of state-sponsored killings. Next, there will be live television broadcasts of executions. Too extreme, you think? The trend has already started with the decision to broadcast McVeigh's execution by closed circuit. It is a mistake. So long as governments by example show disregard for life by executing criminals, private individuals will display similar disregard for life. In the end, there will be more killings and the value of all of our lives will be diminished.
Kenneth Udoibok, an attorney, lives in St. Paul.

Bossforeva: Am nt yet done

isale_gan2:

Who's the first notorious murderer in Nigeria's history?

What's the statistics now on violent crime compared to, e.g., the 1950s?

No, I won't googol. You're now my reference on Nigeria' crime stories.

Bossforeva: 4rm the Era of Oyenusi down to Godogodo crimes have always been. Lawrence Anini, Monday Osunbor, George Iyamu, Obidiozor Otokoto, Okwudili Ndiwe alias Derico Nwa amama, Chiejina et al ehen that reminds me of the "Rise and Fall of Bakassi Boys" oh! Tis so sad i cant recall all i read on it then. How Orji Uzor Kalu started it in Aba 4 good purposes, how it came to Anambra State, how Ebube dike or is it "nwogwugwu" were making Derico and his Team to appear and dissappear. Well am a 90s kid, so i was still tender about 11 yrz old when Bakassi was in operation. All i know then is that each time i was coming back 4rm school i keep seeing criminals roasted alive by the AVS (Bakassi Boys) either for stealing Wristwatch or Nokia 3310 or even that Motorola and Sagem with long poles. Once they place one fetish thing on U, if it turns Red, 5secs later A Car Tire is on ur neck.

isale_gan2:

A lot of those seem to be economic-related crimes, though violent.

What info do you have on cold-blooded murders and (serial) murderers? The criminally insane or sociopath who simply killed just for the thrill of it? I remember reading a news story about an amateur "magician" guy, in the guise of a Professor Peller, who had a body cut up and stashed in a suitcase in his house.

90s child? Well, I was before your time. I remember newspaper and TV news coverage about executions at the Bar Beach or someplace.

P.S. I don't wish to derail; this might be unrelated to topic.

isale_gan2:

A lot of those seem to be economic-related crimes, though violent.

What info do you have on cold-blooded murders and (serial) murderers? The criminally insane or sociopath who simply killed just for the thrill of it? I remember reading a news story about an amateur "magician" guy, in the guise of a Professor Peller, who had a body cut up and stashed in a suitcase in his house.

90s child? Well, I was before your time. I remember newspaper and TV news coverage about executions at the Bar Beach or someplace.

P.S. I don't wish to derail; this might be unrelated to topic.

Bossforeva: That's not popular in Nigeria, tis only popular in Crime Channel of DSTv. Anyway i've read of major crimes in the world, including how Versace was murdered so i dnt think tis heard of in Nigeria.

iamswizz: rip yuzedo