The move to impose harsher penalties on kidnapping and related crimes gained momentum on Wednesday as a bill seeking to amend the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act sailed through second reading in the Senate.
Sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the proposed amendment would formally classify kidnapping, hostage-taking, and similar offences as acts of terrorism, an upgrade that would make the death penalty the mandatory punishment for anyone convicted.
The bill offers no option of fines or reduced sentences.
Bamidele reminded his colleagues that the initiative was in line with the Senate’s recent commitment to work with the Federal Government toward finding lasting solutions to Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
He noted that lawmakers had previously agreed, during a closed-door session three weeks earlier, to design a stronger legal framework to confront the rising wave of abductions nationwide.
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Presenting the bill, the Senate Leader described kidnapping as one of the most pervasive and commercialised forms of violence carried out by organised criminal networks.
He warned that the crime continues to instill fear across communities and severely disrupts education, particularly for schoolchildren.
Senators backing the amendment argued that introducing capital punishment would serve as a powerful deterrent to kidnappers and those financing the crime.
During the public hearing on the bill, stakeholders also stressed the need for explicit sanctions against financial institutions found to be facilitating ransom-related transactions.
Some lawmakers went further, urging the Federal Government to halt the practice of granting amnesty to individuals identified as terrorists.
The bill has been referred to the joint committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Interior, and National Intelligence, which are expected to present their report within two weeks.
