Sharia council condemns move on death penalty
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Written by Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Dutse
The Jigawa State chapter of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has condemned the current move by the House of Representatives to abolish capital punishment.

Speaking yesterday at a news conference, the state chairman of the council, Alhaji Tijjani Inuwa Tashi said, “The ongoing debate at the National Assembly particularly the House of Representatives on the criminal justice system reforms with particular reference to capital punishment is nothing but a heartless and faithless exercise”.

Alhaji Tijjani called on the members of the National Assembly to in the interest of justice, fairness and respect for human right drop the move, saying abolishing capital punishment would seriously affect Muslims.

“We would like to remind our fellow Muslims at the House that they should know that they are representing Muslim communities and by extension the interest of Islam. It is therefore a fundamental Islamic duty on them to first and foremost, protect and preserve the tenets of the religion before any other interest,” said the chairman.

Alhaji Tijjani further stated that religion of Islam had provided for death penalty among other options in the event of murder, adding that Qur’an chapter two verses 178 categorically spells out everything concerning capital punishment, hence, for anyone to attempt to abolish it, he is trying to wipe out a section of the holy Qur’an.

The council, he added, has also noticed with concern, the current move by the Jigawa State House of Assembly to enact a new Child Rights law, calling on the state Assembly to as matter of urgency discontinue with the processes set in motion towards enactment of the law in the state.

“The main objective of the Child Rights Act is to take over the functions of the Shai’ah courts and finally undermine the Islamic legal system in such a way that cannot be reversed easily,” he said.






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Though I am less interested in the arguments presented in the article, I feel Nigeria needs to maintain capital punishment as an option.
Efforts should be towards improving the judiciary and reducing its abuse.

Some criminals simply deserve to die. I don't see the justice in keeping a criminal alive on the taxes of his victims, only in the vain hope of him becoming reformed, while risking his having an opportunity to claim more victims.
The only to be sure that a criminal would not repeat the act is to execute him.

biina:

Though I am less interested in the arguments presented in the article, I feel Nigeria needs to maintain capital punishment as an option.
Efforts should be towards improving the judiciary and reducing its abuse.

Some criminals simply deserve to die. I don't see the justice in keeping a criminal alive on the taxes of his victims, only in the vain hope of him becoming reformed, while risking his having an opportunity to claim more victims.
The only to be sure that a criminal would not repeat the act is to execute him.

the long line of appeals used during death penalty cases are usually more expensive than housing unreformable prisoners for life.

Is the form of execution in Nigeria humane?  death by hanging or by firing squad is just plain barbaric.  In a country like Nigeria where the judicial system typically traps innocent victims (with little chance of appeal), the death penalty should be suspended for now.

its time for the Nigerian government to enforce the secular nature of it's constitution.

bawomolo:

the long line of appeals used during death penalty cases are usually more expensive than housing unreformable prisoners for life.

Is the form of execution in Nigeria humane?  death by hanging or by firing squad is just plain barbaric.  In a country like Nigeria where the judicial system typically traps innocent victims (with little chance of appeal), the death penalty should be suspended for now.

its time for the Nigerian government to enforce the secular nature of it's constitution.

Your first sentence contradicts your second paragraph. It is either no chance of appeal or too many appeals; you cannot have both.

Numerous time consuming appeals of a sentence is a flaw in the judiciary and should be corrected. Unless they take forever, It should not be an excuse to keep alive someone who is a lethal threat to others in the society

As to forms of execution, there is nothing humane about killing. Saying one form is more humane than another is politicizing.  I personally feel that hanging is the best form of execution: its cheap and also environmentally friendly.

Numerous time consuming appeals of a sentence is a flaw in the judiciary and should be corrected

it isn't, taking someone's life is not something you can take back. care has to be taken.

I personally feel that hanging is the best form of execution: its cheap and also environmentally friendly.

great humans getting snapped like chicken.

It should not be an excuse to keep alive someone who is a lethal threat to others in the society

what's the cutoff mark for someone that can be reformed and one that can't be?

And the Jigawa Muslims would prefer to see the individual hanging from a tree and chanting allahu akhbar as his tongue falls to the side of his mouth or [b]stoned to death in a hijab for sexual immorality.[/b]Very heartless people.

biina:

Though I am less interested in the arguments presented in the article, I feel Nigeria needs to maintain capital punishment as an option.
Efforts should be towards improving the judiciary and reducing its abuse.

Some criminals simply deserve to die. I don't see the justice in keeping a criminal alive on the taxes of his victims, only in the vain hope of him becoming reformed, while risking his having an opportunity to claim more victims.
The only to be sure that a criminal would not repeat the act is to execute him.

Valid point but only in the context of countries like the U.s or any western european countries where the possiblity of a miscarrige of justice is non existent or vey low.

bawomolo:

it isn't, taking someone's life is not something you can take back. care has to be taken.

I agree that the decision should be taken with care. But prosecuting with care involves making sure that the case is beyond 'reasonable' doubt and does not equate to repeated appeals on technical grounds, that only serve to enrich the lawyers and waste the tax payers money

great humans getting snapped like chicken.

Like I said, there is nothing humane about killing. and nobody said it should be done in public.

what's the cutoff mark for someone that can be reformed and one that can't be?

The vagueness of the cutoff is the problem and thus the argument to keep some one alive hoping he reforms is faulty. While we don't know what he may do in the future, we are likely aware of what he has done in the past and that is what he is being punished for. Anyone guilty of an lethal crime is eligible for execution in my books. Should they all be executed? No, but definitely some do not deserve to keep their lives

blacksta:

Valid point but only in the context of countries like the U.s or any western european countries where the possiblity of a miscarrige of justice is non existent or vey low.

we should not create another problem in a bid to avoid solving the existing one. Hence I said the efforts should be towards improving the judiciary, and reducing the abuse of capital punishment.
I don't mean everyone should be executed, but the option of executing a felon should always be on the table.
There are accounts of several gruesome crimes in Lagos alone. Such criminals deserve to lose their head on a chopping block.

But prosecuting with care involves making sure that the case is beyond 'reasonable' doubt and does not equate to repeated appeals on technical grounds

we have cases in the US that are revoked when new technology or evidence came out.  those appeals are a necessary evil except of course he/she done it.

but definitely some do not deserve to keep their lives

so what are your standards, a serial rapist?  

The legal system in Nigeria increases the risk innocent and typical poor people get the harshest punishment.

bawomolo:

we have cases in the US that are revoked when new technology or evidence came out.  those appeals are a necessary evil except of course he/she done it.

no system is perfect. A balance has to reached between finding justice and wasting resources.

so what are your standards, a serial rapist?

I am actually more interested in people that commit lethal crimes like assassination and armed robbery. I don't think we have any confirmed serial killers yet, else they would also qualify.

The legal system in Nigeria increases the risk innocent and typical poor people get the harshest punishment.

and that is why the judiciary needs to improve. That should not be an excuse to deny the option of capital punishment.

We can debate which offenses should warrant a life sentence as opposed to the death penalty, but the option for capital punishment should always be available.

Capital punishment has no place in any developed society.

The United States, unfortunately, is still on the list of nations filled with vengeful ignoramuses still trapped in the dark ages, along with nations like Nigeria, China and Saudi Arabia.

Kudos to the European nations (including Turkey, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, etc.) holding the torch, shinning into the future of humanity.

RichyBlacK:

Capital punishment has no place in any developed society.

The United States, unfortunately, is still on the list of nations filled with vengeful ignoramuses still trapped in the dark ages, along with nations like Nigeria, China and Saudi Arabia.

Kudos to the European nations (including Turkey, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, etc.) holding the torch, shinning into the future of humanity.

and so the US, Russia, South Korea, Japan, and China are filled with vengeful ignoramuses and are still trapped in the dark ages?
91 countries have abolished the death penalty while 103 nations have provision for it in their judiciary. There is no correlation between capital punishment and development
If you disapprove of capital punishment simply state why, but please don't waste bandwidth reciting rhetoric.