Kidnapping: Enugu backs Amaechi over death penalty, Rivers Assembly differs

Contrary to the position of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, that kidnappers should face the death penalty, the state assembly has passed into law, a bill which prescribes life jail for kidnappers without an option of fine.



The Kidnapping Prohibition Bill, 2008, which was presented by the House Leader, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, late last year, passed through the third reading on Tuesday.

Amaechi had, at a public function recently, canvassed the death penalty for kidnappers, who had continually frustrated the efforts of the government to restore peace and order to the state.

In a similar manner, the Enugu State House of Assembly endorsed the position and initiated a bill to ensure that kidnappers faced death penalty.

The new law by the Rivers Assembly also prescribes 20 years imprisonment for persons, convicted for attempted kidnapping in any part of the state.

Again, the law provides that anyone caught fronting for kidnappers with an intention to secure a ransom or any thing of value for the release of any hostage would be liable on conviction, to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The Speaker, Mr. Tonye Harry, who presided over the plenary session, said the new law intended to deter kidnappers and their collaborators.

But while Llyod, in his proposal, recommended life imprisonment for kidnappers and persons convicted for attempted kidnap without option of fine, the house ad-hoc committee on the bill, however reduced the punishment for attempted kidnap to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The committee, in its report adopted by the house indicated, “Since attempt to commit an offence falls short of the commission of the offence, the punishment for attempted kidnapping should not be of the same gravity with the actual commission of the offence.

“We, therefore, recommend that the punishment for attempt to kidnap should be reduced to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.”

Meanwhile, following the rising cases of kidnapping for ransom in the country, the Enugu State House of Assembly has initiated a bill to make the crime a capital offence in the state as a deterrent to offenders.

The bill, which enjoys majority support among the lawmakers, passed through the second reading on Tuesday with most of the lawmakers speaking in its favour.

The bill was initiated by Governor Sullivan Chime who was worried by the adverse effect of the crime on the economic development of the state.

Titled, Criminal Code Amendment law 2008, the bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code law Cap 20, Laws of Enugu State, 2004 by replacing existing section 315 which stipulates a punishment of 10 years imprisonment for anybody who unlawfully imprisons another person.

The sponsor of the bill and Leader of the House, Johnny Obidimma, explained that the amendment would bring in two more sections into the criminal Code law already existing to bring it in conformity to the fight against kidnapping cases that were now rampant in the country.