Ogun monarch faults Senate proposed bill on criminalisation of ransom payment to kidnappers

The Eselu of Iselu, in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Ebenezer Akinyemi, has faulted the Nigerian Senate on the proposed bill on the criminalisation of ransom payment to kidnappers as “misplaced priority” not well- thought.

The monarch stated this in an open letter to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, that the proposed bill was needless at this point in time in the history of the country when government at all levels had failed to address the challenge of insecurity.

The first-class traditional ruler noted that Nigerians lived in an unsecured country due to poor security architecture.

He, however, said he believed in the bill if the federal government would develop a security strategy that would make the Nigeria Police Force and other security forces possess the competence and capacity to aggressively confront the crime of kidnapping in Nigeria.

He said, “With all sense of honesty, I totally condemn the menace of kidnapping that has now ravaged our dear country, Nigeria. As a patriotic citizen, I will always support any steps that governments at all levels take with the view to rid our country of all manners of criminalities, including the crime of kidnapping that is sadly gaining more currency/popularity in our country these days.

“However, I feel the Bill that is proposing a 15-year jail term for payers of ransom to kidnappers is a misplaced priority, unpopular and needless at this precious time because governments at all levels have failed in their responsibility to protect the lives and property of Nigerian citizens due mainly to the poor security architecture in the entire country.

“If families of kidnapped persons cannot pay ransom due to the proposed Bill and government too does not have an effective security architecture to rescue the victims, it then means that the victims of kidnapping will be in the kidnappers’ dens till eternity.

“The lives of some of them may even be in danger at the hands of their abductors. Will that not amount to double jeopardy for the victims’ families? I am sure the children of the proponents of the Bill are not in this unsecured country.”

Oba Akinyemi said the Federal government should first rescue Leah Sharibu and hundreds of her likes in captivity if they want the bill to be popular and accepted by the populace.

He proposed that a formidable Police rescue team should be put in place before passing and implementing the kind of proposed bill; insure the lives of their lives and providing necessary facilities/amenities to make all security personnel function well.

“I believe in this Bill, but let the Federal Government put in place a formidable and effective Police Rescue Team solely for tackling kidnapping activities and give them a marching order to first rescue all innocent Nigerians in kidnappers dens before implementing the Bill that cannot guarantee the safety of kidnapped persons and their families,” the monarch submitted.

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