21/02/2026
Like I said yesterday, some of my friends strongly opposed my position when I stated that r**e should not warrant the death penalty. They reacted emotionally and understandably so, especially the women among them. But when it comes to sensitive matters like r**e, it is extremely important to bracket the issue, to detach it from bias, prejudice, and overwhelming emotions. When judgment is clouded by emotion, clear reasoning becomes almost impossible. That is simply a fact.
Saying that ra**sts should be killed in whatever way simply because of the emotional pain attached to the crime is, in my view, a reaction rooted more in passion than in principle. This is not me being a r**e apologist. Everything I am saying is grounded purely in reasoning, justice, and historical precedent.
R**e is arguably the most cruel non-homicidal crime. In many cases, victims become suicidal and remain traumatized for the rest of their lives. It is devastating, no argument there.
However, as Aristotle teaches in his doctrine of the “Golden Mean,” we must seek the midpoint between two extremes. To me, killing a ra**st represents one extreme, while giving a light or overly moderate punishment represents the other. A ra**st deserves severe and harsh punishment, but not death.
Why? Because in a country like Nigeria and even globally, the death penalty can and will be abused. Yes, a ra**st may morally deserve death. But what happens if the accused is later proven innocent? Can we bring him back to life?
History has shown us painful examples. In the United States, several individuals accused of r**e were later found to be innocent, but only after they had already been executed. Names like Emmett Till, George Stinney Jr., Leo Frank, Ed Johnson, and Jesse Washington come to mind. May their souls rest in peace. Some of these men were victims of false accusations and racial injustice. Had they been given life imprisonment instead of ex*****on, they might at least have had the possibility of exoneration and a second chance at life.
Even in countries with relatively functioning judicial systems, wrongful convictions still occur. Nigeria’s system, which still struggles with due process and corruption, would be far more vulnerable to abuse if death became the standard punishment for r**e.
If Nigeria adopts death as the penalty for r**e, we must also be prepared for the possibility of innocent blood being shed, while some real perpetrators may still walk free. Both false accusers like Mirabel and manipulative criminals could exploit such a system.
Justice must be firm, but it must also be careful. Severe punishment? Yes. Death penalty? No, not in a system where error is possible and irreversible.
IFE EMMANUEL
