Alleged Coup: Death Penalty Is Old-School – Lawyer

A lawyer and human rights activist, Frank Tietie, has opined that the death penalty might be counterproductive as a punishment for those alleged to have planned a coup against the government of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking during an interview with Arise News, the lawyer argued that despite the gravity of the offence of attempting to overthrow a democratically elected government, the death penalty is outdated and counterproductive.

Citing decades of advocacy by civil rights groups, Tietie said the death penalty increases crime and cheapens human life, and modern societies should think more about reforms and improving lives.

“The death penalty is old-school. It is barbaric. It does not solve the problem; it traumatises the entire polity. I lived through the days of the firing squad, and it only served to increase crime and cheapen human life.

“Modern societies preserve life, reform life, and improve life. They do not descend into the barbarity of taking life,” he said against the backdrop that the 16 officers indicted for plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu are reportedly facing capital punishment ranging from imprisonment to death penalty.

He also recalled that previous civilian administrations deliberately avoided inflammatory language when dealing with alleged coup plots and urged the Tinubu government to take a cue.

“This is not the first allegation of a coup under a democracy. During the Balewa era, the government was careful to avoid words like coup and treason because they did not want to charge the polity. I think the current administration should take a cue from that.”

Tinubu Government Deserves Commendation

The lawyer commended the government’s response on the matter so far, saying the Tinubu administration has handled the matter with restraint.

He said, “I think the government is handling this well. There is no rush, unlike the military era. It took three months of investigation, and you can clearly see the supremacy of civilian authority. The armed forces could not act on their own; they reported to the president.”

He, however, added that the officers are presumed innocent until proven guilty and their fundamental rights should be respected.

Tietie called on the government to charge the suspects to court as soon as possible.

“It is very sad. These are Nigerian officers, Nigerian citizens, and these are only allegations. They are presumed innocent.

“As Femi Falana has rightly said, you cannot keep people in detention indefinitely. If there is a case, charge them to court immediately,” he said.

The lawyer concluded by submitting that democracy remains the best alternative and should be protected.

“No matter how bad things are, we must never condone any attempt to remove a democratically elected president. Democracy may stumble and rumble, but it has no alternative,” he said.