The Senate has proposed death penalty for anyone convicted of kidnapping and terrorism offences in the country. The decision was reached after the lawmakers had deliberated on a bill to amend the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, classifying kidnapping and related offences as acts of terrorism punishable by death for those found guilty of the offence, including financiers and informants. The lawmakers believe that the proposed law will curb kidnapping, negotiation with terrorists and ransom payment. It will also stem banditry.
The proposal is coming after President Tinubu ordered the new service chiefs to crush terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities across the country. The President also tasked the new military chiefs to dismantle the activities of emerging armed groups in some parts of the country. According to him, “security threats are constantly evolving and mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right at the head.”
There is no doubt that kidnapping and terrorism constitute the greatest danger to Nigeria and the economy. The menace has affected the inflow of foreign direct investments. In addition to terrorism, banditry is on the rise in the North-West while Boko Haram is a serious threat in the North-East. The kidnapping scourge and other crimes are rife in the North-Central and Southern regions.
The recent terror attacks in Borno and Katsina states claimed many lives. In Borno State, about 40 farmers were killed by the terrorists. Fighters from the Boko Haram group and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were alleged to have carried out the heinous attacks. Within the same period, 21 persons were killed and scores of others declared missing after bandits invaded some parts of Katsina State.
Many Nigerians have lost their lives on account of terrorism and kidnapping. Nigerians have lost billions of naira to payment of ransom. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), no fewer than 614,937 Nigerians were killed and 2,235,954 others kidnapped across the country between May 2023 and April 2024. The NBS made the disclosure in its report titled “The Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024,” which captured surveys conducted between May 2023 and April 2024. The report also revealed that about 2.2 million Nigerians were kidnapped across the country while N2.2 trillion was paid as ransom, an average amount of N2.7 million per incident.
A related report by the SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused market/security intel gathering consulting firm, indicated that Nigerians paid N1.048 billion as ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024. It added that 7,568 people were kidnapped across the country within the period.
The booming kidnap for ransom industry has been escalated and sustained by rising terrorism and banditry in some parts of the country. It has adversely affected local and foreign investments. Kidnapping has hampered our tourism industry as well. Therefore, the move by the Senate to curb kidnapping and terrorism through the proposed death penalty law is timely and welcome. We say this because desperate situation requires desperate measures.
Although death penalty is no longer in vogue in many countries, those involved in terrorism and kidnapping must be given commensurate punishment that will deter others from toeing that path of infamy. Keeping terrorists and kidnappers perpetually in jail would not compensate for the atrocities they committed. Death penalty will reduce the rate of terrorism and kidnapping in the country. People commit such crimes simply because offenders have not been sufficiently punished.
We also believe that punishing their sponsors and other accomplices with death penalty will reduce the scourge. Those involved in terrorism and kidnapping should no longer be treated with kid gloves. They should be treated as enemies of the state. Considering the effect of terrorism and kidnapping in the country, the National Assembly should handle the matter with diligence and great urgency.
Beyond the death penalty, all tiers of government must work in concert to address the triggers of insecurity. Good governance will go a long way in addressing the rising hunger, unemployment and poverty in the country. The marginalization of some Nigerians must have led to rising insecurity across the country. The increasing hunger and poverty will make some people take to crimes. People who are economically deprived may easily be recruited by terrorists and bandits. Having state and community policing will help to check terrorism and banditry.
