The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says it has no fewer than 125 inmates on death row in its facilities in Gombe and Bauchi States.
Responding to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey on the death penalty in Gombe and Bauchi, NCoS officials affirmed this.
According to Mr. Lawal Gusau, the Controller of Corrections in Gombe, the Service has 94 inmates total in its facility in the state, 93 of whom are on death row.
He stated that the prisoners were awaiting death row execution.
As of February 28, 2023, there were 1,692 prisoners in the state, according to him.
He said 94 of the 1,692 inmates were on death row and seven lifers while 770 convicted inmates and 821 awaiting trial.
In Bauchi, about 31 inmates on death row were awaiting execution in the state.
The Statistics Officer, NCoS, Bauchi State Command, DSC Abdullahi Usman said the 24 inmates comprised 22 males and two females.
He said that seven males of the 24 inmates were awaiting execution by stoning.
“Most of the inmates on death row in Bauchi are not indigenes of the state, they were brought in from other states.
“This is as a result of apprehension and pressure from the inmates’ family when incarcerated in facilities domicile in their state of origin,” he said.
He said the Service was awaiting for Executive Order (EO) by the respective state governments before carrying out the execution as passed by courts of competent juristdiction. (NAN)