Author: The Nation

A report by A human rights organisation, Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) has shown that 82 Nigerian women are currently on death row in various correctional centres.

The organisation described the situation of the women as one of the most overlooked gendered injustices within the country’s criminal justice system.

The Executive Director of HBBA, Mrs. Funke Adeoye disclosed this during the presentation of the report titled: “Beyond Her Sentence: A Technical Analysis of Gender and Capital Punishment in Nigeria”, on gender and death penalty in Abuja.

The report was supported by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency).

Adeoye, a human rights lawyer, called for a review of Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System to accommodate gender-sensitive sentencing and enhances transparency of trial.

She said the report offered unprecedented analysis of the gender pathways leading women to death row in Nigeria, adding that it uncovers systemic inequalities within the justice process and highlights the urgent need for gender-responsive reforms.

Adeoye said: “As we mark the 16 days of Activism, we call on government, civil society, legal practitioners, and communities to act decisively. The death penalty helps no one; our justice is not infallible, and irreversible punishment disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. Abolition is both a legal necessity and a moral imperative.

“Nearly half of the women on death row are aged 18-35 and over one- third had no formal education, and only 10-percent attained tertiary education while most were mothers, leaving children in fragile care arrangements during incarceration.

“We also noted that over a third had experienced gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, forced marriage, and child marriage. Many lacked awareness of the laws under which they were charged, and more than half considered their trials non-transparent.”

She also noted stigma from families and communities that has contributed to compounding the affected persons’ suffering, especially for women charged with sexual or marital offences.

While emphasising that women on death row endure compounded vulnerability and systemic injustices, Adeoye stressed that 80 per cent of the women interviewed believed that rehabilitation was possible as many of them had been exposed to vocational skills within correctional facilities where they were serving sentences.

Also speaking, Assistant Controller of Corrections and Gender Advisor, Adenike Sheyindemi, commended Hope Behind Bars Africa for its commitment to justice and reform.

Sheyindemi, who spoke on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Mwakuche described the report as a vital contribution to the national conversation on equality and reform within Nigeria’s justice system.

She said: “This technical analysis is not merely a research document; it is a powerful instrument for advocacy. The Nigerian Correctional Service is committed to leveraging these findings to improve correctional administration and promote gender-sensitive practices.”

Sheyindemi added that the NCoS would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop training programmes, revise correctional policies, and strengthen psychological and social support for female inmates.

She said: “We are not just focused on having policies. Our priority is to ensure they are implemented effectively to create a fairer, more rehabilitative correctional system.”

Sheyindemi charged parents and the media to sensitise their loved ones on the dangers of crimes that could lead to death sentence.