Does Nigeria have the death penalty?
Retained / in use
Retained in law and used.
Nigeria is one of 54 countries classified “Retained / in use” for the death penalty — 28% of the 196 with data. (Also searched as capital punishment.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Capital punishment by country
- Last checked
- 15 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- Cameroon
- Not used in practice Retained in law, but not used for at least ten years.
- Niger
- Not used in practice Retained in law, but not used for at least ten years.
- Benin
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Togo
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Equatorial Guinea
- Abolished for ordinary crimes Abolished for ordinary crimes; retained for exceptional crimes such as those under military law.
- Ghana
- Not used in practice Retained in law, but not used for at least ten years.
Other laws in Nigeria
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Every law in Nigeria → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.