President Muhammadu Buhari has been enjoined to implement capital punishment for corrupt officials of the government so that the country can mark up to the level of developed nations.

This view was expressed by a monarch, the Oluwo of Iwo land in Osun, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, on Saturday, in Abuja.

“I commend President Buhari-led administration for creating a vigorous awareness against corruption,” Mr Akanbi said.

“We want more from His Excellency; an enforcement of capital punishment for corrupt officials is enough to place Nigeria at the verge of developed nation.”

“Mr. President, we need enforcement of death penalty for the corrupt officials,” the traditional ruler emphasised.

Transparency International, a global anti-corruption body, in its 2020 Corruption Perception Index, ranked Nigeria 149th, out of 183. Nigeria dropped three places from the previous ranking.

The Nigerian law does not currently prescribe death penalty for corruption and trials for official sleaze often take years to prosecute.

Oftentimes, corruption trials are subject to the convenience of the government and prevailing political expediency.

But Mr Akanbi’s demand was made at a public presentation of four books authored by a legal practitioner, Aminu Alilu, a Prosecutor and Head, Complex Case Group in the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Making further remarks, the monarch said the dying health system, among others, was as a result of corruption.

According to him, Mr Buhari is the only one standing upright “because I know he never stole any money.”

Mr Akanbi urged the Ministry of Justice to be the vehicle through which appropriate laws and legislations are made to stamp out corruption and criminal activities in the system.