According to the bill, Nigerians who pay ransom to kidnappers and kidnappers who receive ransom risk 15 years imprisonment.
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The Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which scaled second reading during plenary is sponsored by Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi.
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Leading debate on the bill, the lawmaker said the piece of legislation seeks to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013 to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers and terrorists for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped.
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According to Onyewuchi, the bill essentially seeks to substitute for section 14 of the Principal Act a new section to read, “Anyone who transfers funds, makes payment or colludes with an abductor, kidnapper or terrorist to receive any ransom for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped is guilty of a felony and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years.”
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He raised alarm that kidnapping has become a fast and lucrative business, adding that, “it has now remained the most virulent form of banditry in Nigeria and the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country.”
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Continuing, the Senator said, “Kidnapping is on the increase in Nigeria and it is prevalent across all the geopolitical zones.
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“Some blame the rise of this criminal activity on poverty, religion, politics, deficiency of existing laws, unemployment, connivance of security agents, corruption, and greed among others.
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“Our unemployed youths are also turning out to kidnapping to get money (ransom) as a survival strategy.
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.
The Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which scaled second reading during plenary is sponsored by Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi.
.
Leading debate on the bill, the lawmaker said the piece of legislation seeks to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013 to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers and terrorists for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped.
.
According to Onyewuchi, the bill essentially seeks to substitute for section 14 of the Principal Act a new section to read, “Anyone who transfers funds, makes payment or colludes with an abductor, kidnapper or terrorist to receive any ransom for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped is guilty of a felony and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years.”
.
He raised alarm that kidnapping has become a fast and lucrative business, adding that, “it has now remained the most virulent form of banditry in Nigeria and the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country.”
.
Continuing, the Senator said, “Kidnapping is on the increase in Nigeria and it is prevalent across all the geopolitical zones.
.
“Some blame the rise of this criminal activity on poverty, religion, politics, deficiency of existing laws, unemployment, connivance of security agents, corruption, and greed among others.
.
“Our unemployed youths are also turning out to kidnapping to get money (ransom) as a survival strategy.
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What about negotiators like Gunmi who fed fat on his deal with terrorist?
ReplyDeleteGood question
DeleteI don't understand...someone whose family member was kidnapped, shouldn't pay for them to be released? So they should leave them to be killed?
ReplyDeleteAnd they have not been able to execute any kidnappers, but propose jail term for people trying to save their families. Even Evans‘ case went into voice mail ...
DeleteIf you don’t pay the kidnappers, you stop giving the incentives for further kidnapping. The response of Nigerians to this proposed law is dumbfounding.
DeleteKeep paying kidnappers and they keep kidnapping. If you stop paying, what will be the motive to kidnap?
9:26, may your family member never be kidnapped in this country. That's when you know you can't leave decisions pertaining to your ward's life to your government.
DeleteYou think people who are paying ransom like paying? Please let's be realistic.
The government who should be addressing the root cause of increased kidnapping and finding ways to fish out kidnappers is trying to solve the problem from top of the pile, dumbass move.
So while they stop paying for the kidnapping...the police have not traced these kidnappers. Even when they pay they still kill some of them. Nigeria was once a country. So until they keep killing the loved ones and make them examples before kidnapping would be stopped?
Delete@Anon 9:26... God forbid you were kidnapped, what would you have wished, if you were a victim? tell anyone who cares not to pay any ransom for your release?
DeleteThis is the most stupid thing I have heard this week. Bunch of jokers. So, people's relatives should be killed cause the government say you shouldn't pay ransom.
ReplyDeleteThe rate of kidnappings in the society will only increase if kidnappers keep cashing out
DeleteAnonymous defending nonsense law. How about government do something about the failed security system.. most kidnappers that av bn arrested are fulanis. What av they done about that? We only hear d beginning, then they sweep things under their mat.
DeleteLet's leave the yeye person defending this stupid law.
DeletePlease someone help me explain this...
ReplyDeleteDoes it mean that family members of a kidnapped person who pay ransom for release will be jailed or persons who receives the ransom on behalf of kidnappers will be jailed???
Cos if it’s the former,won’t victims be in trouble??? And how will the government be persecuted for all the outrageous sums they’ve been paying willfully.
Don't mind them..
DeleteNa today?
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke of a country.So how many years should our leaders that failed in security get..
ReplyDeleteLife without parole
DeleteAwon oloriibu, amunise. Just keep opening their gutter mouths endlessly.
DeleteProposes? No comment till it turns to 'implemented'.
ReplyDeleteMake I laugh small🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣😁......how I take reach this country sef
ReplyDeletePutting the horse before the cart..
ReplyDeleteThe first bill they should be proposing and deliberating on is security.
Is it these securities that are more concerned with making money from yahoo boys you want to risk putting the life of a family or friend in..
OYO is your case
Cart before the horse
DeleteThey can pass the bill because they have the Army, police to protect their families. The government has failed the citizens and they expect the citizens who could afford to secure the release of their loved ones to also fail them? Police paid ramson for their kidnapped men and this useless, jobless sets of Reps are here passing nonsense bills. Kidnappers help us and taste the microphone with either their wives or children.
ReplyDeleteWait, shouldn’t they first put forward bills to ensure kidnappers are punished to eradicate the satanic activity? Are these obtuse overfed morons ok? When even the Government and its officials do so. Looters must return their loot. Enough revenue isn’t coming in and the little is being stolen. Nigeria is deteriorating, aided by unknown arms dealers who sell weapons to third work countries for insurrections against leadership structures imposed by the west. A whole household was kidnapped by a bus load of kidnappers yesterday night in their home in Kubwa, Abuja area. This included little kids. Nobody is talking about this. More than one house was raided and rapes and kidnappings at home have begun. Nigerians don’t want a fight but the Psalmist says “ I am for peace... they are for war”. The Goverment and cronies of politicians are the ones carrying war to the doorsteps of Nigerians! Some students are afraid to attend school, now there is kidnappings at home in Abuja, they even broke into Gambari’s home. In Aso whatever. Nature abhors a vacuum. Nobody is in charge in Nigeria right now. It’s easy to blame a group but tell me which ethnicity has no thief? The ruling Fulanis, having learnt from overrunning Hausas and many groups over centuries of nomadic homelessness, have turned corruption into a weapon and gave crumbs to collaborators and sell-outs from every ethnicity. There has to be reparation of loot. How can you steal so much from your own people, watch them die and travel with their money to the west for headache?
ReplyDeleteThis current situation is what happens when you eat “National big cake” without giving “cup cakes” to the masses. A country can only run on autopilot for so long.
Yet the government pays and negotiates with bandits and terrorists
ReplyDeleteAre u minding the useless ppl?
DeleteI am now convinced the “inmates are running the asylum”. Blaming and seeking to punish the victim’s families when politicians and the military are the ones sharing the kidnap loots. Are you victimizing the family of victims? You guys have gone bonkers!
ReplyDeleteIn which nation on earth will the number of blatant kidnappings go on without the security agencies and their bosses fishing them out? Or losing their jobs?
You allowed it to become business in the north and it’s now in Abuja and finding its way to the south. You know those collecting the ransom.
It’s not the “unemployed” youths who you love to blame in their helplessness. The culprits are among you greedy folks. You sent your kids here and are determined to turn Nigeria upside down. Make no mistake, just as the Jewish lobby got Israel fixed and developed through its power with the US Government, some folks are determined to get politically compromised folks out of the west with their kith and kin.
Delay is not denial so if you stole from Nigeria & think you can ruin it because you only raid it for money to spend here, your judgement day is coming and you and your family will find no rest in the west.
You will be returned to the Nigeria you tried to ruin and the money you laundered will be returned to the people. It may take 4 years or 10 but it’s the mission of a very few, highly placed Diasporans using their soft power like the Jewish lobby.
Keep looting. Your names and loots are on record here. I don’t know of Dubai but here. You will be returned to Nigeria with your family who you lied to get papers for anyway, making it easy to get them out to face the music they drummed up or jailing them here.
Don’t run here if you are a looter or looter’s crony. It’s a matter of time.
Well said.
DeleteUnderground moves to change the narrative.
Enough of this BS!
May God see ur endeavours through. Amen.
DeleteThis is wrong. It's as a result of the failures of the security agencies to rescue the kidnapped that the families concerned goes to extent of negotiating with the criminals. No one will be comfortable to leave their love ones in the den of kidnappers knowing how the security system has failed. IMO this jail term should be extended to the security personnel that fails to resue a victim.
ReplyDeleteThe governors of Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna are mostly responsible for what is going on today. Paying ransoms foolishly with state resources enabled the kidnappers to expand their business.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been a good law when it is signed and gazetted. America, Britain and France have the same laws. These 3 nations have effective security agencies which are well equipped and adequately funded. Trusted by citizens of the 3 nations to a significant extent. But Nigeria do not have a well funded, equipped, dependable and respected security agencies. While I honestly believe paying ransoms will lead to more kidnapping , l do not believe any family that have the capacity to pay ransoms should delay paying even for a fraction of a second. I acknowledge the fact that the security agencies do sometimes rescue victims, it is not enough to avoid paying ransoms if and when you have the resources to do so.
It simply means that every kidnapped victim should die in the hands of their kidnappers.
ReplyDeleteInstead of them to task the federal government to ensure the security of lives and properties in the country, they are busy passing rubbish Bills.
Seriously??? Will we ever get here if adequate security is provided to the citizen??? What apparatus has the government put in place to track those kidnapped and to arrest the kidnap person?? Which category is Gumi in this bill?? He negotiates with kidnappers freely, what will government do to him??? Nigeria has failed his own! What a country!
ReplyDeleteOkay..............o
ReplyDelete