Following increase contributions of whether to abolish or reinstate the death penalty, this reporter went on a vox-pop with people in society, to find out who would want his or her parent or relative to be employed as the ‘killer’ of killers. Certainly, no one who was met and questioned by this reporter, accepted his or her relative to be the implementer of the death penalty. Most people who spoke to this reporter, suggested harsh punishment for murderers in form of a Life sentence with hard labour.
Pastor Edith of the Christ Ministry Church of God, was among those who rejected the elimination of the lives of those convicted for murder, either by accident or otherwise, by relying on the teachings of the Bible. For her, the Bible said: “God’s desire is not for anyone to perish because offenders may one day come to repentance.” She further explained that God does not want anyone to kill human being that people should begin to consider behavioural rehabilitation for offenders than exercising the death penalty in a Constitution. “The best way to deal with those that have committed murder is to rehabilitate them in detention whether with harsh punishment or something else. The message of the Bible is not to kill and I so hold,” she subscribed to. In order to confirm the condemnation of the Bible against taking someone’s life, Pastor Edith made reference to the First Timothy 2: verse 1-4.
On his part, Oustas Saidikhan of Latrikunda Sabiji said although, he would not want any of his relatives to be the implementor of the death sentence but added that doing it is in line with Islam. According to him, the Quran in Suratul Baqara, God said anybody who Killed deliberately should be killed because the lives of mankinds are so precious that it is only the Almighty who qualify to take back life. “For me, I support the killing of anybody that killed. This is the only way to cut down the rate of murders. Penalty against death should not be made light,” he echoed.
Alhagie Gaye, a woodworker, Sajor Secka and Modou Jawara, a van drive all dislike the job of being the killer of killers. Gaye said: “Definitely, the action of killing is totally odd and even though exercising it is constitutional does not bring back the departed Soul. That’s why, I don’t like the job of being a killer of those who Killed human beings and I don’t wish it to anyone of my relatives,” he posited. Mamud Tunkara, Isatou Njie, Fadi Camara, Anna Gomez all spoke contradictorily that anybody who Kills his fellow human, should be killed; that this is the strongest deterrent against muderers.
