By Ayo Kehinde
In a bid to get a firm hold on ravaging insecurity accompanied by banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello, has signed into law, a bill prescribing death penalty for cattle rustlers, bandits, kidnappers and informants in the state.
This followed the passage of the bill by the State House of Assembly on July 1.
Bello, who had raised the alarm of the seizure and settlement of many villages in the state by Boko Haram terrorists ,said the kidnapping and cattle rustling special provisions law of 2016 was amended to provide for the punishment of informants and all those involved in the aiding and abetting of kidnapping and cattle rustling in the state.
According to Bello, informants who aid and abet kidnappers would also have to face a death sentence by hanging in public as stated in the law.
He said,” The law now provides that whoever instigates any person to kidnap a person or rustle cattle, or intentionally aids, abets or facilitate by any acts of omission or commission of the offense of kidnapping and or cattle rustling is guilty of an offense and is liable on conviction to death by hanging in public.”
The governor said the law is a measure put in place to ensure peaceful coexistence among people in the state.
He noted that the vigilante amendment law was meant to strengthen the state vigilante corp for better operational efficiency in the discharge of their duties.
The governor expressed hope that the signing of the state assembly Service Commission Law would further enhance the activities of legislators and solidify the already existing synergy between the executive and the legislature.
