TheCable

Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady, has called on governors and law enforcement agencies to implement capital punishment for people involved in kidnapping in the country.

The first lady spoke on Friday during a meeting with the national women leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Tinubu raised concerns over the spate of abductions in the country, describing the perpetrators as cowards for targeting women and children.

She also lamented the recent abduction of over 200 students in Kaduna and displaced persons who were taken from their camps when they went to fetch firewood in the Ngala area of Borno state.

The first lady described the kidnappers as animals that must be appropriately punished.

“Enough is enough and I call on state governments and other authorities to serve kidnappers with capital punishments once identified,” NAN quoted her as saying.

“Why are they abducting women and children? They are just killing our future. We all know that when parents are old, we rely on our children, we see them as our successful investments, especially when they are successful.

“Why will you now take them from their schools? I think enough is enough. As a former lawmaker, I believe that any one of them captured deserves capital punishment.

“I believe most mothers will support me on this because we carry our children for nine months in the womb, and we cannot watch what we love to wither away.”

While commemorating International Women’s Day, the first lady said the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu prioritises creating opportunities for women in politics.

“On my part, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) was established to focus on championing women’s causes and implementing various programmes and initiatives nationwide under our motto, ‘towards a better life for families’.

“Accelerating progress in any endeavour requires that women have to be more involved. That is why I see investment in women, not as charity, but as a crucial strategy to build the future of our dear nation, Nigeria.

“We should empower women with education, resources and opportunities to unlock their full potential, such as supporting women’s businesses, investing in women’s health, agricultural programmes for women, and creating pathways for women in science and technology will help in dismantling economic and social barriers that women face.

“Therefore, my charge to you all is to be each other’s keeper; let us all come together, bond and love one another. Each of you should commit to pulling a sister up, one at a time. You will all be amazed at what we can achieve collectively.’’