TheCable

Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, has assented to the bill that prescribes death sentence for anyone found guilty of kidnapping in the state.

Sule signed into law the Nasarawa state kidnapping act prohibition law 2020 and child-protection executive order bill on Wednesday.

“I need to state that the Nasarawa State Kidnapping Act Prohibition Law was extensively deliberated and passed by the State House of Assembly,” Sule said.

“This law spelt out various offences relating to kidnapping and prescribed stringent punishment for perpetrators, such as life imprisonment and the death penalty.”

The governor said the law stipulates forfeiture of any property used by kidnappers to the state while the owners of such property would be liable to 20 years jail term.

He listed various penalties ranging from death to imprisonment for those involved in kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempt to kidnap, fake kidnap, false representation to release a kidnapped victim, and assisting in the escape of kidnappers as various penalties.

The governor also inaugurated a committee to reform the penal code in line with modern realities.

Earlier, Abdulkarim Kana, commissioner of justice and attorney-general of the state, expressed gratitude to the governor for signing the law and the inauguration of the committees.

Kanar said the action would go long way towards tackling criminality in the state and said the ministry would ensure that kidnappers face the full wrath of the law.

Aliyu Abubakar, director-general, legal aid council of Nigeria, commended the state government for its effort to curtail kidnapping.

He asked other governors to emulate the Nasarawa governor so as to ensure that insecurity in the country is tackled.