Ogun State Government has revealed plans to sign Death Warrants of condemned criminals sentenced by competent courts to deter heinous crimes in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, (SAN) made the revelation on Friday after inspecting inmates and facilities at the Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta.
The Attorney General expressed concern over the increase in criminal activities like ritual killings, kidnapping, cultism, and other heinous crimes in recent times in the state.
Ogungbade said that the state government is ready to implement the law by signing the Death Warrants, adding that he observed that despite the proactive measures put in place by security agencies to tackle crimes, there is an upsurge, particularly in ritual killings.
The Attorney General added that the government had identified the wrong perception that there would be no repercussions when some of these crimes are committed as the root cause of the upsurge in criminal activities.
He said, “I can tell you that we are looking seriously at a means of sending a message that Ogun State is not a place where you can come and commit such serious crimes and get away with it.”
“The law as of today, for example, states that a murder case attracts the death penalty and some other offences.”
“But if you look at it nationally, for a long time, there has been reluctance on the part of governments across the states, particularly since the advent of democratic rule to sign Death Warrants. But I assure you that at this time, we are looking very seriously at following the law to its letter.”
“It is part of the duty of the governor to sign Death Warrants, and I am certain that when he took that oath of office, he took it knowing full well the responsibilities that come with it.”
“He is a governor who upholds the rule of law, so I can assure you that in deserving cases, he will not shy away from that constitutional duty.”
“Though I may not give a timeline, I can only say that in deserving cases, which we are looking at, it will happen.”
“If somebody has gone through the process of a fair trial and has made use of all his appeals, we will begin to look seriously at implementing those judgments, hoping that it will serve as a deterrent to those who still intend to carry out such crimes.”
“But in doing so, I can assure you that we will be systematic about it; we will not be reckless about it.”
Ogungbade further explained that the present administration has done a lot in terms of granting amnesty to those condemned to death by turning their death sentences into life imprisonment, reducing life imprisonment to a fixed term of imprisonment, and allowing punishment to serve as a deterrent.
The Commissioner said the upsurge in criminal activities is a total loss of value system and the support given to criminals by their relatives, saying this is at variance with the African belief system that abhors criminal behaviour and seeks punishment for offenders.
He noted that his visit to the Correctional Centre was to see the conditions of the inmates and the facilities, ensuring the centre functions the way it was designed and inmates were not made to go through excruciating suffering.
