Death Penalty In Nigeria: Kidnappers In Lagos Could Be Charged With Death Or Life Imprisonment

Kidnappers in Nigeria may face severe consequences after Lagos State Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode signed a new law Wednesday approving life imprisonment or even death for offenders. The governor told local media the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping Bill would address major issues regarding security in Lagos, according to reports.

The governor said his administration plans “to put in place appropriate measures, particularly in public schools and other vulnerable targets to prevent security breaches” due to the ongoing “major threat to the safety of citizens” throughout the country. He was likely referencing Nigerians' ongoing clashes with the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, which killed 11,000 people in 2015 alone.

Under the new bill, violators who kidnap for ransom will face life sentences. Kidnappers whose victims die while in their custody will be subject to the death penalty.

“Security is of utmost importance to our administration, and we are confident that this law would serve as a deterrent to anybody who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of the state,” AllAfrica reported Ambode said during a news conference. “While the law would address the challenges posed by kidnapping and punish the criminals, we would also put appropriate measures in place to prevent security breaches.”

The Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping Bill came just a month after Nigerian military officials found a schoolgirl who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok. The girl had been abducted by the extremist group back in 2014 along with 300 other girls, an incident that inspired the global social media campaign “Bring Back Our Girls.”

Along with the kidnapping bill, two other bills passed into law Wednesday, including the Sports Trust Fund Law and Sport Commission Law, both of which the governor said supported Lagos becoming the “hub of sports in Nigeria.”

“The sports commission law gives legal backing to the formulation and implementation of sports policies in the state while the sports trust fund enables government to raise money for the development of sporting facilities and activities,” he said.