House Of Reps Propose Death By Hanging For Kidnappers

In a bid to address the rising wave of kidnapping and hostage-taking across the country, members of the House of Representatives have taken steps to prescribe death by hanging as a penalty for the crime in Nigeria.

The lawmakers took this decision during Wednesday plenary by passing a bill to prohibit kidnapping, hostage-taking and prescribing punishment for its contravention through second reading.

The bill also recommends a jail term of not more than 10 years without an option of fine for any persons who attempt to commit an offence under Section 1[1] and Section 2 of the act on conviction. According to the bill, kidnapping involves seizure, confinement, enticement, decoys, abduction, concealment, or carrying away of another person by any means whatsoever with intent to hold or detain the person for a ransom or extortion.

The bill also explains that any person who seizes or detains and threatens to compel a third person or a governmental organisation to do or obtain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for release of the person detained, or attempts or conspires to do so is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.