Former United Nations Human Rights Adviser, Prof. Uche Emelonye, has urged the Nigerian Senate to shift its focus from increasing punishments to strengthening crime-prevention strategies.
He made the remark on Wednesday during an interview on the ‘Prime Time’ programme on Arise Television.

Prof. Emelonye was responding to the Senate’s proposal recommending the death penalty for individuals convicted of kidnapping.

According to him, raising penalties will not solve the problem, as previous attempts have shown little impact.
He noted that the 9th Senate had, in 2020, increased the punishment for kidnapping from a 10-year jail term to life imprisonment, yet the country has not become any safer between 2020 and 2025.

He stressed that effective criminal justice reform begins with prevention rather than severity of punishment.

“Criminals worldwide are discouraged more by the chances of being caught than by how harsh the punishment is,” he said, adding that this trend has been consistently proven across various jurisdictions.

Prof. Emelonye warned against assuming that methods used in other countries—such as China or the United States—would automatically work in Nigeria, noting that the nation’s security system is significantly weaker and fundamentally different.

He also pointed out that the death penalty already exists in Nigerian law for offences like armed robbery and murder. Yet, executions are rare.
He recalled that the most recent known execution took place in 2016, when former Edo State governor Adams Oshiomhole signed a death warrant.

“If the death penalty is truly effective, why are other governors not enforcing it? And is Edo State safer than the rest of the country?” he asked.