Capital punishment (v) Abolish the death penalty de jure, commute the sentences of prisoners on death row to imprisonment, and release those aged over 60 who have been on death row for 10 years or more Situation during visit (A/HRC/7/3/Add.4) their criminal procedure codes. Corporal punishment, such as caning, and sharia-based penal code punishments in the northern states (i.e. amputation, flogging and stoning to death), were lawful in Nigeria. Non-governmental sources: Sharia-based punishments remain on the statute books. • • • Violence against women (w) Establish effective mechanisms to enforce the prohibition of violence against women including traditional practices, such as FGM, and continue awareness-raising campaigns to eradicate such practices, and expedite the adoption of the Violence against Women Bill Steps taken to implement the recommendations Capital punishment was still available under the laws of Nigeria, but there was a policy not to carry out executions. However, persons continued to be sentenced to death, which led to the steady growth in numbers of persons languishing on death row for many years in inhuman conditions By letter dated 14 September 2007 the Government stated that it had, as part of the decongestion process, released all prisoners over 60 and 70 years old, as well as all prisoners on death row who had served for more than 10 years. A number of State laws prohibited discrimination against women in critical areas, such as female genital mutilation and early marriage. Despite such legislation, however, such practices persisted and enjoyed social acceptance. No effective mechanisms to enforce existing prohibitions were in place. • Non-governmental sources: No action has been taken to abolish the death penalty Despite the federal announcement, no substantial number of detainees has been released Non-governmental sources: Several states have passed bills prohibiting domestic violence, including Lagos, Cross Rivers Ebonyi and Jigawa states. CEDAW is yet to be incorporated; however, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is working with a coalition of NGOs to re-present the CEDAW Domestication Bill to the National Assembly. Women remain A/HRC/10/44/Add.5 page 84 Recommendation (A/HRC/7/3/Add.4) as a measure of last resort, and the use of non-custodial measures, such as bail and recognizance, are increased for non-violent, minor or less serious offences Corporal punishment (u) Abolish all forms of corporal punishment, including sharia-based punishments