IS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT A SOLUTION TO CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA?

摘要

Capital punishment refers to the execution of a criminal under sentence imposed by competent public authority. This form of punishment has been adopted by many countries of the world on crimes such as: murder, terrorism, treason, amongst others. The preference for this type of punishment is usually hinged on: deterrence, restitution and retribution. In view of the high rate of corruption amongst the political class in Nigeria, a good number of people have suggested capital punishment as a remedy. This is on the conviction that it will deter those who engage in such corrupt practices and hence, forestall its future occurrence. The paper tries to evaluate such call and its tenability and concludes that the problem of Nigeria is not lack of laws but the implementation and obedience to laws. Thus, such call for the inclusion of capital punishment may likely be counterproductive. It also questions the moral viability of the deterrent basis for the justifiability of capital punishment, amongst others. It submits that the concerned institutions of the State should be strengthened and that the principle of separation of powers be upheld in the country; with these, the problem of corruption will be curtailed with the equitable implementation of the existing laws of the land.