NIGERIA: LAGOS ASSEMBLY OKAYS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS

January 5, 2017: The Lagos State House of Assembly approved death penalty for offenders as it passed the anti-kidnapping Bill into law.
Tagged: “A bill for a law to provide for the prohibition of the act of kidnapping and for other connected purposes,” it will become law after Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s assent.
The bill prescribes death sentence for kidnappers whose victims died in their custody. Kidnappers whose victims did not die in their custody will get life jail.
It was passed following the adoption of a report presented by Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC.
Mudasiru Obasa, speaker, directed Azeez Sanni, acting clerk of the House, to send a copy of the bill to Governor Ambode for assent.
The bill states: “Any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her will, commits an offence, and liable on conviction to death sentence”.
The bill criminalises attempt to kidnap and stipulates life imprisonment for anyone who attempts to kidnap another person.
Also, the bill is against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person. This attracts seven years imprisonment.
The lawmakers also approved 25 years imprisonment for whoever threatens to kidnap another person through phone call, e-mail, text message or any other means of communication.
The bill provides that any person, who knowingly or wilfully allows or permits his premises, building or a place to which he has control of to be used for the purposes of keeping a person kidnapped, is guilty of an offence under the law and liable to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine. (Sources: realnewsmagazine.net, 05/01/2017)