Nigerian men sentenced to death through Zoom, sparked criticism from rights groups

Amnesty International Nigeria Director Osai Ojigho condemned the use of the death penalty in the country and questioned why Monday’s hearing could not be postponed.

“We know many courts are exploring how they can proceed with virtual cases, but the challenge is how much thought has been given to the process for virtual courts,” Ojigho said. “In this case, can this sentence not be postponed to another time?”

“Can we say justice is seen done in this case, does the public have access to this session? It is worth exploring if the process that leads to virtual sitting follows the principles of natural justice and fair trials.”

Oyekanmi refused to respond to criticism of the trial, as did a spokesman for the Lagos state court.

State governors in Nigeria must authorize executions before they are carried out, but some have refrained from doing so in recent years, Ojigho said.

“Nobody wants to be arrested [accountable] to end someone’s life, from the pattern we see. If the government has an internal struggle and is hesitant to sign the death certificate, why don’t we release it from the book? “Ojigho said.