Police task National Assembly on stiffer penalties for kidnappers

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has urged the National Assembly to make stringent laws to check the incessant cases of kidnapping nationwide. He noted that the nefarious act was thriving because of lack of a tighter legislation.

Idris, who made the call at the monthly meeting with the 36 commissioners of police and other senior officers yesterday in Abuja, noted: “When I went to the National Assembly, I told them that what we need to challenge kidnapping is punishment. I think these boys see us parade people but they do not see them taken to court or sentenced to death.”

He continued: “In some states where kidnapping leads to the death of somebody, the penalty is death but they only see the court sentencing such persons to 10 years or life imprisonment.

“I feel that is why they feel more relaxed and I told the National Assembly that we need to have more stringent punishment for kidnappers. I think that is the only way to check the menace because they see it as child’s play.”

The police boss further said: “If you go all over the command across the states, you would discover that some of these youths are getting more involved in kidnapping. Like I told the National Assembly, I believe if we can get laws to check it, we are going to see a lot of changes.

“In Niger Republic, a Boko Haram suspect was arrested and within one week, judgment was passed and that sends a very strong message that whoever that is planning to go into it should desist. But here, we have suspects year in, year out, appearing in court and cases continually adjourned.

“It does not serve as deterrent to them and even most of them kept in police cells are more comfortable there. So, I think to address the level of kidnapping in the country, a strong law should be passed.”