by Oge Okonkwo

The bill which prescribes death penalty to kidnappers has been signed into law by the governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole.

Apart from the death penalty, the kidnapping law of the state also prescribes tht demolition of any premises used by the kidnappers.

Some of the suspects paraded by the Edo state Police Command earlier this week may face the death penalty if found guilty of the crime of kidnapping due to the bill signed by the governor.

Channels TV News reports:

Governor Oshiomhole has recently been in a dilemma on whether the death penalty should apply to kidnappers who commit murder during the act and those who do not. Today, he declared that the death penalty applies to all acts of kidnapping whether it involved murder or not, while calling on youths to desist from the criminality as an excuse for unemployment.

The Governor appealed to parents and guardians to be wary of the activities of their wards as criminality should not be an excuse for unemployment. The governor also assured that no special tribunals will be set up to try cases of kidnapping, as that is a feature of the military era. This he said to relieve concerns over the slow judicial system in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that Human Rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) urged government to grant amnesty to kidnappers, after being a victims of these kidnappers whiule on his way to his home country in Edo state.