Ben Kalu Proposes Penalty For Govt Officials Who Negotiate Ransom

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is proposing penalties, in the next six months, for government officials who negotiate ransom payments.

Kalu spoke on Tuesday at the lower chamber’s special session on national security, saying a legislative move to make that happen will help in addressing insecurity in Nigeria.

He said, “The number three is the priority legislative agenda. What do we need to do in our phase one, between now and six months?

“What is the foundation of what we need to do? What is the crisis response that the parliament needs to look into? Number one is anti-banditry resolution: to legally prohibit ransom negotiation and mandate criminal justice process over amnesty programmes.

“The key provisions are are follows: (1)Criminal penalties for government officials who negotiate ransom or authorise unstructured amnesty deals.”

“Number two is mandatory prosecution through the criminal justice system for all banditry suspects. ”

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The Abia-born lawmaker decried the rising insecurity in Nigeria and believes the situation needs urgent action from the Federal Government and security agencies.

“As you all know, Nigeria’s security challenges as it is now, demand urgent action,” he told the lawmakers and others who attended the special session.

He also called for better policing, suggesting the speeding up of the process for the creation of state or local police.

According to him, with the use of modern equipment, Nigeria’s security agencies, especially the police, can better address crimes in Nigeria.

The session came in the wake of heightened insecurity in the country, especially in recent weeks, where gunmen have abducted schoolchildren and worshippers in parts of Nigeria.

Since the renewed wave of insecurity, President Bola Tinubu’s government has mandated security personnel to address the challenges. The administration also made a string of decisions, including withdrawing police officers from very important persons (VIPs).

The president also postponed his foreign trips owing to the killings and abductions.