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| 'Innocent' Nigerians on death row | 'Innocent' Nigerians on death row |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of prisoners on Nigeria's death rows did not have a fair trial and may be innocent, rights group Amnesty International (AI) says. | Hundreds of prisoners on Nigeria's death rows did not have a fair trial and may be innocent, rights group Amnesty International (AI) says. |
| AI says many confessions are extracted under torture and people are sentenced to death on that evidence alone. | AI says many confessions are extracted under torture and people are sentenced to death on that evidence alone. |
| The organisation has called on the government to halt all executions in light of its report. | The organisation has called on the government to halt all executions in light of its report. |
| "The judicial system is riddled with flaws that can have devastating consequences," an AI researcher said. | "The judicial system is riddled with flaws that can have devastating consequences," an AI researcher said. |
| 'Overstretched' | 'Overstretched' |
| "It is truly horrifying to think of how many innocent people may have been executed and may still be executed," AI's Aster van Kregten said in a statement. | "It is truly horrifying to think of how many innocent people may have been executed and may still be executed," AI's Aster van Kregten said in a statement. |
| I am not an armed robber. I am a shoemaker. I bought a [motorcycle] from someone who stole it Jafar, death row inmate since 1984 class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7388599.stm">Nigerian court frees 'dead son' | |
| According to the 78-page report, almost 80% of inmates in Nigerian prisons say they have been beaten, threatened with weapons or tortured in police cells | According to the 78-page report, almost 80% of inmates in Nigerian prisons say they have been beaten, threatened with weapons or tortured in police cells |
| It details how, after a prisoner has been hanged, other death row prisoners are forced to clean the gallows. | It details how, after a prisoner has been hanged, other death row prisoners are forced to clean the gallows. |
| "The police are overstretched and under-resourced. Because of this, they rely heavily on confessions to 'solve' crimes - rather than on expensive investigations," Ms van Kregten said. | "The police are overstretched and under-resourced. Because of this, they rely heavily on confessions to 'solve' crimes - rather than on expensive investigations," Ms van Kregten said. |
| Ledap, the Nigerian legal organisation which co-authored the report, says that under Nigerian law, confessions under torture cannot be used as evidence in court. | Ledap, the Nigerian legal organisation which co-authored the report, says that under Nigerian law, confessions under torture cannot be used as evidence in court. |
| "Judges know that there is widespread torture by the police - and yet they continue to sentence suspects to death based on these confessions, leading to many possibly innocent people being sentenced to death," Ledap's national co-ordinator Chino Obiagwu said. | "Judges know that there is widespread torture by the police - and yet they continue to sentence suspects to death based on these confessions, leading to many possibly innocent people being sentenced to death," Ledap's national co-ordinator Chino Obiagwu said. |
| Amnesty says that death penalty trials can take more than 10 years to conclude, with some appeals waiting for 14 years - and even up to 24 years. | Amnesty says that death penalty trials can take more than 10 years to conclude, with some appeals waiting for 14 years - and even up to 24 years. |
| "I am not an armed robber. I am a shoemaker. I bought a [motorcycle] from someone who stole it," death row inmate Jafar, 57, told Amnesty. | "I am not an armed robber. I am a shoemaker. I bought a [motorcycle] from someone who stole it," death row inmate Jafar, 57, told Amnesty. |
| He filed an appeal 24 years ago, but he is still waiting for it to be heard as his case file has gone missing. | He filed an appeal 24 years ago, but he is still waiting for it to be heard as his case file has gone missing. |
| "The police asked me to be a witness. They got the man who sold [me] the [motorcycle] but shot him to death. After that, I became the suspect." | "The police asked me to be a witness. They got the man who sold [me] the [motorcycle] but shot him to death. After that, I became the suspect." |
| In the report, many prisoners said that when the police picked them up, they asked for money to release them. | In the report, many prisoners said that when the police picked them up, they asked for money to release them. |
| Those who could not pay were treated as suspected armed robbers, they say. | Those who could not pay were treated as suspected armed robbers, they say. |