Oshiomhole Signs Death Penalty Law For Kidnappers

The Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole has signed the Edo State Kidnapping Prohibition Law as amended, prescribing death penalty for kidnappers.


While signing the bill into law, Oshiomhole said:
“I have just signed into law a bill amending the Kidnapping Provision Law 2009 as amended by the state House of Assembly, which now prescribes death penalty for anyone who is involved in any form of kidnapping.

“We have had enough laws in our statute books that provide for various degrees of punishment for various offences. I think the real challenge is about law enforcement and dealing with the problem of impunity. Laws will be worthless if we do not have the capacity to apprehend, interrogate, persecute and interrogate criminals and invoke the full weight of the law.

“I am convinced that within the three arms of government of the legislative, the Judiciary and the Executive, we have a responsibility to make laws and enforce those laws in a way that would send clear signals to those involved in acts of criminality whether they are kidnappers, armed robbers, rapists that the security agencies now much more determined than ever before to ensure that this state becomes too hot for criminals to operate.”

Then he reassured the people, saying:

“I want to assure the good people of Edo State that government is concerned about the state of kidnapping. We share the pain, the agony and trauma which victims of kidnap are all subjected to, but  I assure our people that everything is being done to keep these criminals in check.

“Having signed into law the death penalty, let me assure the good people of Edo State that as reluctant as one wants to be in matters of life and death. I am convinced that the overriding public interest dictates that we invoke the maximum penalty available in our law on those involved in the act of kidnapping. Anyone sentenced and convicted, I would sign the death warrant.”

And for those who disagreed with the law, he said:  “…no one should try to trivialise very complex issues.”
“We need coordinated efforts to deal with the problem of crime in Nigeria,” restating that the Governor does not have the  power to deal with any security officer who might have misbehaved or through whose negligence the people might have been exposed to any criminal act.