Oshiomhole signs law prescribing death penalty for kidnapping

Edo State Government has taken a bold state towards amelioration of kidnapping the state, by legislating death penalty for convicted kidnappers.

The state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole,  on Friday signed into law, the bill which prescribes death penalty to kidnappers.

The law which is an amendment of the Edo state kidnapping law also prescribes that any premises used by kidnappers will be demolished.

Governor Oshiomhole has recently been in a dilemma on whether the death penalty should apply to kidnappers who commit murder during the act and those who do not.

But the law applies to all acts of kidnapping whether it involved murder or not.

Oshimohle called on youths to desist from the criminality as an excuse for unemployment.

Some of the suspects paraded by the Police in Edo state earlier this week may face the death penalty if found guilty of the crime courtesy of the Bill just signed into law by the governor.

The Governor appealed to parents and guardians to be wary of the activities of their wards as criminality should not be an excuse for unemployment. The governor also assured that no special tribunals will be set up to try cases of kidnapping, as that is a feature of the military era. This he said to relieve concerns over the slow judicial system in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that Human Rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) urged government to grant amnesty to kidnappers, after being a victims of these kidnappers whiule on his way to his home country in Edo state.