Nigeria wants the death penalty

ENCA
Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan wants to enforce the death penalty, the West Africa Bureau Chief Kwangu Liwewe said on Tuesday.

The death penalty is still in force in 17 African countries but human rights activists condemn it because it violates the right to life.

They say there is no evidence it deters crime and innocent people are frequently wrongfully convicted.

But executions on the continent continue with five countries carrying them out last year.

South Sudan executed five and two hundred others are still currently on death row.

Zimbabwe says it will not hang anyone - despite employing a hangman in February.

It has 76 murderers on death row, 11 of whom were sentenced in 2012 alone.

But the new constitution does not allow women and men under 21 or over 70 to be executed.

However this ruling does not apply to those guilty of treason or mutiny.

Botswana suspended executions in 2011 but executed two last year.

Gambia executed nine by firing squad, most of them for treason, yet its law says the death sentence applies only to murderers.

Before that Gambia hasn't executed anyone for 30 years.