Rights Group Raises Alarm: 82 Nigerian Women Face Death Sentences Nationwide
Story: Written by Myra December 4,2025
ASF France, an international human rights organisation, has revealed that 82 Nigerian women are currently on death row in various correctional facilities across the country.
The disclosure was made in Abuja by Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, ASF France’s Country Director, during a capacity-building workshop focused on gender-related concerns in the application of the death penalty.
According to Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the figure represents one of the highest numbers of women awaiting execution in sub-Saharan Africa. She stressed that many of these women have been abandoned and overlooked simply because they are incarcerated.
“We believe these women deserve to be heard,” she said. “The death penalty is often portrayed as gender-neutral, but in reality, the criminal justice system is filled with gender bias—from arrest to conviction and even during imprisonment.”
She explained that a significant number of the women had suffered domestic violence but were not recognised as victims when their reactions led to fatal consequences. Instead, they face further discrimination and harsh treatment within the justice system.
“These women are punished not only for their alleged crimes but also for defying societal expectations placed on women,” she stated.
She also pointed to poverty as a major driver, noting that many cannot afford competent legal defence—often influencing whether they receive a death sentence.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu cited a recent case in Katsina State, where a young woman was sentenced to death by stoning for becoming pregnant outside marriage. ASF France intervened, and the Court of Appeal later overturned the sentence. “No one even questioned who impregnated her,” she added.
She urged the government to establish a moratorium on executions and ensure that survivors of gender-based violence are treated as victims and given fair legal consideration.
Also speaking, Dr. Chioma Kanu, Executive Director of the Mothers and Marginalised Advocacy Centre, stressed that families suffer deeply when the justice system fails.
She said, “Not everyone on death row is truly guilty. Some were convicted through coerced confessions or because they couldn’t afford a lawyer. An innocent person can be freed—but the dead cannot be brought back.”
Kanu called for justice that protects victims while ensuring fairness and safety for families nationwide.
