₦airaland Forum

By Innocent Anaba
and SIMON
EBEGBULEM
BENIN-CITY – Four
death row prisoners,
Chima Ejiofor, Daniel
Nsofor,
Osarenmwinda
Aigbonkhan and
Richard Igagu in Edo
State, were,
yesterday, executed,
despite their pending
appeals at the Court
of Appeal.
It will be recalled that
President Goodluck
Jonathan had recently
directed state
governors to sign the
execution warrant of
death row inmates,
advising them not to
shy away from same,
as it was part of their
duties.
Vanguard gathered
that the execution
took place despite the
pendency of the suit
by the condemned
inmates, challenging
their being on death
row for over 16 years.
They had also asked
that their conviction
be commuted to life
imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Legal
Defence and
Assistance Project,
LEDAP and Amnesty
International,
yesterday,
condemned the
execution.
Vanguard was
informed that the
execution was carried
out at 6:45pm,
yesterday, by hang
men.
Edo State Attorney
General and
Commissioner for
Justice, Mr Henry
Idahagbon, in his
reaction, said the
executed men were
convicted 15 years
ago, noting that the
Edo State
Government had
nothing to do with
the execution.
He said: “These
people were
convicted 15 years
ago. I was only
informed this (last)
night by the prison
authorities that they
had been hanged.
One of them was
convicted in Kaduna,
while their matters
had gone up to the
Supreme Court, and
came back to the
Federal High Court,
Benin. It really has
nothing to do with us
as a government.
“The governor only
signed the death
sentence of two,
while previous
governors signed that
of two others. The
information I got was
that they went to the
Federal High Court,
which Monday
refused their plea for
leniency and I believe
what the prison
authorities did was to
execute them
immediately after
they left the court.
“Edo State
government has no
hand in it. I was only
informed that it had
been done,” he
added.
In the suit before the
Federal High Court,
the death row
prisoners had
contended that to
execute them after
over 16 years of
trauma, suspense and
imminent death
would amount to
cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment.
They had asked the
court to order the
Edo State Governor to
commute their death
sentences to terms of
imprisonment.
LEDAP, in a statement
by its National
Coordinator, Mr.
Chino Obiagwu, said:
“The Attorney-General
of Edo State and the
prison authorities
were duly served with
the court processes,
comprising the notice
of appeal and motion
for stay of execution.
“Under Nigerian laws,
an appeal and
application for stay of
execution should
restrain further action
until the appeal is
determined.
“By executing the
prisoners, Nigeria
government has
demonstrated gross
disregard to the rule
of law and respect for
the judicial process.”
Amnesty’s reactions
Amnesty, in its
statement, said: “We
have received credible
reports that
authorities in Edo
State have hanged
four men in Benin
City Prison on
Monday (yesterday),
the first known
executions in the
country since 2006.
“A fifth man remains
at imminent risk of
execution.”
Amnesty’s Deputy
Director for Africa,
Lucy Freeman, said:
“If confirmed, these
executions mark a
sudden, brutal return
to the use of the
death penalty in
Nigeria, a truly dark
day for human rights
in the country.
“We again urge the
Nigerian authorities
to stop all executions
immediately and
return to the
moratorium on
executions in the
country.
LEDAP noted that “it
had, with HURSDEF,
on October 19, 2012,
filed a suit at the
Federal High Court,
Benin, on behalf of
death row prisoners
earmarked for
execution by Edo
State Government.
“In the suit, the
death row prisoners
in the suit contended
that to execute them
after over 16 years of
trauma, suspense and
imminent death
would amount to
cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment.”
“The prisoners had
asked the court to
order the Edo State
governor to commute
their death sentences
to terms of
imprisonment.
“However, judgment
was delivered against
the inmates by Justice
Liman of the Federal
High Court, holding
among other grounds,
that the prisoners did
not place sufficient
facts before the court
to substantiate the
relief sought in the
suit.
The appeal
“LEDAP filed an
appeal against the
judgment of the
Federal High Court
and also a motion for
stay of execution
pending the outcome
of the appeal and
served the notice of
appeal with the
motion for stay of
execution on the
Attorney General of
Edo State and prison
authorities in Edo
State.
“Furthermore, all
death row prisoners
filed a case pending
at the Court of
Appeal Lagos,
challenging the
decision of state
governors to sign
their execution
warrants in the case
of Godwin Pius & Ors
vs. Governor of Abia
State & Ors.
“Both appeals are
pending at the Court
of Appeal and the
Edo State Governor
and Comptroller
General of Prisons
are parties in both
appeals. LEDAP is
representing the
prisoners in both
appeal and also a
party to the appeal in
Edo State.
“We condemn the
execution of the four
inmates despite the
pendency of the
appeal and motion
for stay of execution
filed by the inmates.
“Execution of the
inmates, while their
appeal is pending, is
unlawful and amounts
to a total disregard
for the rule of law
and judicial process in
any democratic
system.”
8 comments
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8 Comments

top condemed murderers include rev.king,el mustapha

4 condemned criminals were hanged in edo state,monday by nigeria prison service .more to follow across nigeria. this is the first since 2006

the people are not serious,this is the last opportunity for pdp.the problems becomes the solution.gej and godswill are the party nemesis

shame to bas people. winner o.winner o amechi you don win o.

he is saying the truth,a typical anambra family 4 to 6,vigllante commander expect 50

like akpabio,like jony

can you manage taxis lets discuss @ rooftech2@yahoo.com

Even a well dressed goat wil do the job

torkaka: Evidently the Rivers Cp has a history of acting acting rascally and without decorum. read the below;



Police invasion of Ashipa’s palace: IG orders removal of Oyo CP


…Ashipa head demands N1.2bn compensation

By AKEEB ALARAPE

The Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar has ordered the removal of Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu over last week’s occupation of the palace and ancestral home of Ashipa of Oyo. Daily Sun had exclusively reported last week that 250 policemen, accompanied by two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) stormed the Isale Oyo area of the town and sealed off the palace.

Although nobody was arrested, women, children and owners of shops adjoining the palace were chased away by the security men while the personal vehicle of the head of Ashipa family and Alago of Ago-Oja, Chief Ganiyu Busari Ajiboye was taken away by the invading policemen. The IGP was said to have been embarrassed and infuriated by the action of his men, especially when there was no court order for such exercise. Reliable source within Oyo State command confided in Daily Sun yesterday that IG Abubakar immediately ordered the removal of CP Mbu, pending the time the hierarchy would consider what next to be done on his case.

“As I am talking to you now, he is yet to be re-posted to any command. His action really embarrassed the IGP,” the source stated. Meanwhile, embattled head of Ashipa family, Alhaji Ganiyu Ajiboye has slammed a N1 billion suit on the IGP for illegal and unwarranted invasion and subsequent occupation of Ashipa palace, where he and his family lived. Joined in the suit were Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dasuki Galadanci; Oyo State Commissioner of Police; Executive Governor of Oyo State and Attorney-General of Oyo State.

In the motion on notice, Ajiboye urged the court to order the defendants to pay the ‘sum of N500, 000, 000 as general damages against the respondents severally for psychological trauma and personal inconveniencies including loss of the use of his vehicle and arbitrary and illegal deprivation of his personal effects arising from the infringement of the applicant’s rights.’ He also pleaded with the court to grant an order ‘awarding the sum of N500, 000, 000 as aggravated damages against the respondents severally on account of crude methods adopted by the respondents, their arbitrary conduct, abuse of state powers and unwarranted intimidation.’

Ajiboye also sought the order of the court for the award of the ‘sum of N2, 000, 000 against the respondents severally as cost of damage to the applicant’s vehicle. in the course of forcefully towing the vehicle to Police Area Command, Durbah, Oyo.’ Ajiboye also demanded a public apology for the embarrassment caused him and his family as well as immediate action to unseal the palace. It was gathered yesterday that some police personnel were still sighted within the premises of the Ashipa ancestral home while shops already locked up due to the police invasion were yet to be re-opened.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/police-invasion-of-ashipas-palace-ig-orders-removal-of-oyo-cp/

I think someone was transferred to Rivers to carry out a hatchet job

so this man has a dirty record before.i see why he behaves like tafa balogun

stine b: For your information, CP Mbu was the ersthwhile Director of Nigeria Police Force Education unit,A HOLDER OF MSc, and Phd in view.

i doubt o
but thinking out loud, from which university.i want to know because most cultist and crooks end up joining the police.

pokur: GEJ graduated with a 2.1?.Jesus wept

obj with army diploma did better than this 2.1 material ruinning nigeria with second chance that has relocated asorock to port Harcourt.oga rule northern nigeria from abuja,madam rule south from port Harcourt

Dracula27%:
In certain situations silence can be taken to mean consent.
If the CP had not spoken we would not have known as much as we know now.
Ameachi brought the case to the court of public opinion .
Now he has spoken with verifiable facts and our responses are no more on facts or issues.

what facts dont you know the police are liars,the cp is acting a script.dont you see how he has shut down port harcourt for the queen of nigeria who God gave a second chance to live to start her campaign.

still waiting o

for peace to reign, let them post out mbu from rivers state

its a known fact that godswill is a product of media hype and propaganda,he has collected over 2trillion naira since 2007.and cannot point to a single project worth 50billion naira completed and has human development context.the airport,5star hotel,nwaniba,oron road,power plants etc was done by previous administrations.lets stop lies.the same poverty that exist in yobe state is whats available in uyo.i mean a state with high youth unemployment.

pdp on a freefall.ok na

i have said so many times that this policeman is playing with his career gej will not win 2015.and when the politicians reconcile he will be the scapegoat.the constitution does not know him the governor is the chief security of the state.its a known fact that kidnappers and militants are back to ph.amechi has 2yrs.left he has a future which can be rubbished.remember tafa balogun, ehindero,mike okiro etc

Freeanijoo: Hahaha Eko ole has diverted his attention from GEJ to Akpabio with his irrevelant criticism. Just focus on GEJ and forget about Akpabio, that dude is unique and he got style.

who? conartist,fraud.

get thuraya and pickpoint all the users in that region. immediately.

where is thia hotel location

its easy o,the sss should be able to pick point signals emanating from sat by now.or get gilat isreal to jam them.

why are nigerians behaving like this

any difference,does this stop poverty and human undevelopment.

Long live kwankwanso and may God help you people remove the criminals as pdp ngf.

nonsence talk,tribune is now known to tell lies

boko is a pdp thing.stop confusing people. lapdogs

what about lagos,port harcourt and even uyo

u want to convert satan from hell.my friend nigerian police force can never be changed.

see the character of jang and his pdp criminals led by one crook from south south. our time will come.amechi be strong to see that day.

see the character of jang and his pdp criminals led by one crook from south south. our time will come

nigeria will be a better place someday.have hope