…Seeks Life Imprisonment For Kidnappers
A Federal Lawmaker Senator chukwuka utazi representing Enugu North on Tuesday appealed to the senate to mandate Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to recognize Enugu State as an oil-producing state.
speaking under order 43, on the floor the senate chamber, Senator Utazi lamented that the course had be consistently pursued by the government of Kogi, Anambra and Enugu from the 8th National Assembly up to the 9th Assembly, wondering the justification of recognising Kogi and Anambra without Enugu State inclusive
The Enugu lawmaker noted that the Department of Petroleum Resources once briefed the Senate Committee on the development at their prompting, while he expressed shock that Enugu State wasn’t captured by RMAFC , he called for the same status to be accorded to Enugu
Utazi calls on the senate to look into the matter
to find permanent solution to the lingering issues
so Enugu state can join it’s counterpart of Kogi and Anambra to enjoy the 13% derivation entitlement
The Senate On Tuesday Passed For Second Reading A Bill Which Proposes Life Imprisonment As Punitive Measures For Kidnapping In The Country The Bill Tagged Abduction, Wrongful Restraint And Confinement Bill 2021 Also Recommends A Jail Term Of 30years For Recipients Of Proceeds Of Act Of Kidnapping
According to the sponsor of the bill Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Oyelaja (Ogun Central) The bill seeks to proffer stricter and more stringent punishment for the offence of kidnappings, and bring to an end the debate of the adequacy or punishment for kidnapping and other related crimes, like false imprisonment.
Senator Ibikunle says ,The highest term of imprisonment prescribed for kidnapping in the Criminal and penal Code Acts is ten years.
He says, the light punishment against these offences has not helped in deterring the spate of abductions and kidnappings that have now become prevalent in the country
According to the Ogun state lawmaker, the pool of potential victims has shockingly been expanded to poor villagers, a departure from the targeted kidnapping of wealthy citizens
However, the struggle to pay ransoms because of their relative poverty has resulted into many victims being killed in the process.
According to him Nigeria accounts for over 26% of kidnapping and ransom incidents globally, and thousands of these incidences go unreported
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