The Senate on Wednesday moved to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-kidnapping laws by pushing for the death penalty for kidnappers—and anyone who finances, enables, or provides information to them—as lawmakers debated amendments to the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
The plan, backed by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, wants to categorize kidnapping, hostage-taking, and associated crimes as terrorism, providing security authorities greater authority to track, disrupt, and prosecute criminal networks throughout the country.
The argument dominated Wednesday’s plenary, with participation from major senators such as Adams Oshiomhole, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Minority Leader Abba Moro.
The session was chaired by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
After hours of deliberation, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the amendment bill for future legislative consideration, referring it to the Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters (head committee), National Security and Intelligence, and Interior Committees.
The panels are anticipated to report within two weeks.
Leading the debate on the bill, Bamidele stated that the goal was to “designate kidnapping, hostage-taking, and related offenses as acts of terrorism and prescribe the death penalty for such offenses without the option of a fine or alternative sentence.”
He cautioned that abduction had become “coordinated, commercialized, and militarized acts of violence perpetrated by organized criminal groups.”
“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,” the Senate leader lamented.
According to him, the patterns of brutality associated with kidnapping “now carry all the characteristics of terrorism,” necessitating that the offense be treated under the counter-terrorist framework.
Bamidele also stated that the measure will provide security forces with “broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools” to pursue terrorists and their enablers.
He emphasized that the death penalty would apply not only to kidnappers but also to “their informants, logistics providers, harborers, transporters, and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations,” and that “attempt, conspiracy, or incitement to kidnap attracts the same penalty.”
“Nigerians are kidnapped on highways, in schools, in homes, on farms, and in markets,” he said. “This is not a mere crime. It is terrorism in its purest form.”
Oshiomhole supported the proposal and criticized deradicalization initiatives for terror suspects, claiming that many convicts returned to crime.
“We should not continue with deradicalization programs again,” he said. “No more de-radicalization. If you are caught and convicted for acts of terrorism, then the penalty should be death.”
Kalu also endorsed the law, stating that informants and supporters of kidnappers should “face the consequence.”
“Nigerians have suffered at the hands of kidnappers. Young girls have been raped. Women have become widows for no reason. This must not continue again,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Moro praised the law as “a unanimous decision of the Senate,” stressing that it was vital to enforce capital punishment in the expectation that kidnappers would face the consequences.
Senator Victor Umeh criticized the growing pattern of abductions and victim killings even after ransom payments. He stated that financial organizations that facilitate such crimes must also be investigated.
Last week, the Senate took the same strong approach when it discussed a motion in response to the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Ekiti LGA, Kwara State, in which gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted 38 others.
Although all victims were later rescued, MPs said the episode highlighted the spread of rebel cells into the South and rising instability in rural regions.
The debate arose from a resolution by Senator Yisa Ashiru headlined ‘Urgent Need to Address Escalating Insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States and Strengthen National Security Frameworks.’
Senators also expressed alarm about increased school abductions, which have resulted in closures in areas of Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, and all 47 Federal Unity Colleges countrywide.
The latest amendment effort indicates a more aggressive legislative drive as instability, notably kidnapping for ransom, continues to affect communities across the country.
