– The Lagos state House of Assembly have approved death sentence for kidnappers
– The bill considers different degrees of the crime and appropriate punishment
The bill approval followed the adoption of a report presented by Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the chairman of the house committee on judiciary, petitions, human rights and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
The committee’s report on “A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping and for Other Connected Purposes” reads in part:
“The bill prescribes life sentence to kidnappers, whose victims did not die in their custody.
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 also criminalises attempt to kidnap, also stipulated life imprisonment for anyone who makes attempt to kidnap another person.
The bills is against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person. This attracts seven years imprisonment.
The lawmakers approved 25 years imprisonment to whoever threatens to kidnap another person through phone call, e-mail, text message or any other means of communication.
Any person, who knowingly or wilfully allows or permits his premises, building or a place or belonging 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.”
The bill that aims ensuring zero tolerance for kidnapping was reportedly sponsored by Speaker of the House Mudashiru Obasa.
The bill has been amended by the lawmakers and now awaits third reading before it will be sent to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for assent.
MOAVERS 