Bill seeking death penalty for kidnappers passes second reading in Senate

…lawmakers insist no mercy for perpetrators

The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act to classify kidnapping, hostage-taking and related offences as acts of terrorism.

The bill, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and supported by all 108 senators, proposes the death penalty without the option of a fine or alternative punishment for offenders.

Bamidele said the amendment reinforces the Senate’s commitment to work with the Federal Government to address the nation’s worsening security challenges.

He reminded lawmakers that three weeks ago, during an executive session, the Senate resolved to introduce a stronger legal framework to curb the rising cases of kidnapping nationwide.

Read also: Senate moves to classify kidnapping as terrorism, seeks death penalty for offenders

Leading debate on the bill, Bamidele described kidnapping as “one of the most pervasive and destructive crimes in our nation today,” adding that “what were once isolated incidents have escalated into coordinated, commercialised, and militarised acts of violence perpetrated by organised criminal groups.”

The Senate on Wednesday extensively debated the proposed amendment to the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, insisting on the death penalty for kidnappers and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations.

The Red chamber also unanimously backed provisions empowering law enforcement agencies to dismantle kidnapping networks through stronger enforcement tools and by placing kidnapping under the terrorism framework across the federation.

During the debate, contributions came from several lawmakers including Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Chairman of the South-East Development Commission Committee; and the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro.

After thorough debate, the Senate, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, unanimously approved the proposed amendments.

Akpabio referred the bill to the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters (lead committee), National Security and Intelligence, and Interior for further consideration, directing them to report back in two weeks.

Presenting further details, Bamidele said the amendment seeks to designate kidnapping, hostage-taking and related offences as terrorism and to prescribe the death penalty “without option of fine or alternative sentence; and for related matters.”

He justified the severity of the punishment, arguing that kidnapping “has instilled widespread fear in communities; undermined national economic activities and agricultural output; interrupted children’s education; bankrupted families forced to pay ransom; overstretched our security forces, and claimed countless innocent lives.”

He added that patterns of organisation and brutality associated with kidnapping “now carry all the characteristics of terrorism.

“It is no longer adequate to treat these acts as ordinary criminal offences.

“The legal framework must reflect the true magnitude of the threat.”

Bamidele explained that the bill empowers security agencies with broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities and prosecutorial tools under counter-terrorism law.

Beyond designating kidnapping as terrorism, the bill prescribes the death penalty “not only for the perpetrators and financiers of such heinous acts, but also for their informants, logistics providers, harbourers, transporters, and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations.”

“Attempt, conspiracy, or incitement to kidnap attracts the same penalty,” he added. “This strong deterrent is necessary to confront kidnapping at the scale it currently operates.”

He warned that Nigerians “are kidnapped on highways, in schools, in homes, on farms, and in markets,” stressing that “this is not a mere crime. It is terrorism in its purest form.”

“Our moral, constitutional, and legislative duty is to protect Nigerian lives,” he said.

“If an offence repeatedly results in mass murder, mass fear, mass displacement, and systemic destabilisation, then the strongest legal sanction becomes necessary.”

He assured that the bill “does not target communities or innocent persons,” adding that all prosecutions would comply with due process and fair trial standards.

Supporting the bill, Oshiomhole criticised deradicalisation programmes, saying they had not prevented extremists and kidnappers from returning to crime.

He argued that the bill would end “mischief in the act of terrorism” where “a terrorist will be arrested and allowed to go without facing consequence of his crimes in the name of deradicalisation.”

“Some of these guys went back to their crimes,” he said.

“Even the Bible and Quran say those who are killed have no right to be alive.

“No more de-radicalisation. If you are caught and convicted for acts of terrorism, then the penalty should be death.”

Kalu also supported the bill, saying the Senate had “unanimously agreed with this bill.” According to him, “informants, sponsors and everybody involved in kidnapping, hostage and other related offence must face the consequence.”

“Nigerians have suffered in the hands of kidnappers,” he said.

“Young girls have been raped. Women have become widows for no reason. This must not continue again.”

The Minority Leader described the bill as “a very straightforward bill,” urging the Senate to “go ahead and allow this bill to be passed into second reading with the hope that kidnappers will face capital punishment.”

He said kidnapping had become a business enterprise and insisted that the Senate “can never continue to be terrorised,” making the bill expedient.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Population and NIMC, Senator Victor Umeh, condemned in strong terms the kidnapping and gruesome killing of victims.

He said the trend “will no doubt compel men of conscience to rise in support of the bill,” adding that kidnappers “collect ransom and still kill their victims.”

“We should do everything to amend the Terrorism Act to classify kidnapping, hostage-taking and other related offences as acts of terrorism,” he said.

“We have to go dig into the people who facilitate this criminal enterprise. Financial institutions are also part of it.”

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