Death penalty for kidnappers as Taraba amends law

Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has signed an amendment of the Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Act 2010 which prescribes death penalty and life imprisonment for kidnappers and abductors.

Ishaku’s media aide Bala Dan Abu made the disclosure in a statement.

He said the amendment sponsored by Taraba House of Assembly speaker Peter Abel Diah, is aimed at protecting Taraba residents from kidnapping.

Abu declared that “anybody found guilty of abduction or kidnapping in the state will pay the supreme price for it.”

“The law is a product of government’s concern about insecurity in the state, particularly, kidnapping for money which is rampant in the state and other parts of the country,” Abu said.

In the amendment, anyone, who threatened to kill, maim, injure or cause panic in order to compel another person, corporate or government organisation by phone calls, text messages or any electronic device shall be convicted to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The law also says that any person who conceals information or has knowledge of the “existence of a kidnap group and is aware of the planning and execution of kidnap or abduction without informing relevant security agencies commits an offence and shall be convicted to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.”