IGP recommends death penalty, life jail for sentence for kidnappers

Inspector General of Police  (IGP),  Ibrahim Idris, has advocated death penalty or life jail for anyone guilty of kidnapping.

The IGP,  who spoke in Abuja, said the punishment applicable to kidnappers needed to be patterned after the laws of Lagos and some other states.

The IGP was discussing the issue of the  suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike also known as Evans, while holding a session with members of civil society organisations (CSOs).

The IGP told the CSOs that states needed  to impose sanctions on kidnappers just as it is in Lagos and other states.

Lagos State governor,  Akinwumi Ambode had  in February, signed into law the anti-kidnapping bill, which was passed into law in January by the state assembly.

The law approved death penalty for  kidnappers whose victims die in the process of kidnap.

States such as Baylesa, Anambra, Bauchi and Kano, have also introduced laws  that approved death penalty for kidnappers.

According to the IG,  there is the néed to review the nation’s laws to ensure that  stiffer punishments are meted to kidnappers.

“We should start looking at punishment and the possibility of establishing special courts to address issues of kidnapping.

“On daily basis, we arrest hundreds of suspects. We should look for a way to review our laws and impose sanctions like we have in some states like Anambra, Lagos, Kano and Imo.

“Evans has undoubtedly changed the face of kidnapping in this country, if you see his magnificent mansions in Ghana.

“That was why he refused to invest in his own state and preferred to build houses in Ghana and other places.

“This was because he knew his investments would be lost. So the issue of punishment is very important.

“He told his boys not to have landed property in either Anambra or Imo because he was aware the houses will be demolished and the boys ostracised if caught.

“He refused to own any property in his place. You know, in that part of the country, even in churches, relatives of kidnap suspects are avoided and treated as outcast by people.

“You can see why our youths have taken this way to easy life. That is why we have to up the risk. If you engage in kidnapping the punishment should be death or life imprisonment.

“We need to review those punishments, we should have a time frame for the conclusion of the trial of suspects.

“This will serve as a deterrent to youths that may wish to engage in the crime,” he said, adding that “some of these local people don’t really understand, they see people being paraded on television after arrest and think that is just where it ended.

“Kidnapping obviously has become a very major challenge for us in this country. However, I am happy to state that in virtually over 80 percent of cases reported to the police, the suspects were arrested,” he stated.