The senate on Tuesday passed for second reading proposing life imprisonment for kidnapping or any form of abduction, wrongful restraint and confinement.
The bill sponsored by Senator Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun Central) seeks to, among others, introduce stiffer punishments and punitive measures to combat and prevent kidnapping in Nigeria.
Leading debate on the bill, Amosun observed that kidnapping is a major security challenge confronting Nigeria in recent times.
He said the light punishment for the offence has continued to make it grow and assume horrendous dimensions with a negative impact on the economy.
“The impact of kidnapping on both economic and daily life has been devastating.
“For many Nigerians, kidnapping is far more devastating than the carnage of Boko Haram in the Northeast, or the carnage in the Middle Belt over land, pasture and water use between farmers and herders.
“In the rich oil south-south, kidnapping is often seen as a manifestation of the insurrection over how oil revenue is distributed.
“Overtime, the pool of potential victims has shockingly been expanded. No, most victims are often poor villagers, sometimes kidnapped indiscriminately, a departure from the targeted kidnapping of wealthy people. They struggle to pay ransoms because of their relative poverty; and this has resulted in many victims being killed in the process,” the lawmaker said.
Amosun said “Nigeria has one of the rates of kidnaps for ransom of both locals and foreigners in all of Africa.”
“While the insurgents in the Northeast now thrive on the proceeds of kidnappings, criminal elements in the Southeast and Southwest are also having a field day. In fact, kidnapping has now become a big and lucrative business.”
The lawmaker stated that the bill, therefore, seeks to introduce stiffer punishment for the offence of abduction, wrongful restraint and confinement for ransom.
“This bill also provides more punitive measures for ancillary crimes flowing from the commission of the crime of abduction, like death or grievous harm.
“To achieve the deterrent effect, life imprisonment is proposed for the offence of kidnapping, particularly where death results from the act.
“The law is made stricter by ensuring that recipients of any proceeds of the act of kidnapping are heavily sanctioned with a term of imprisonment of up to 30 years,” the lawmaker said.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan referred the bill after it was exhaustively debated, to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Committee which is chaired by Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele was given four weeks to report back to the upper chamber.
