The Niger state government has promulgated a law under which kidnappers, cattle rustlers and their informants are punishable with death by hanging in the public.
This is because Governor Abubakar Sani Bello on Friday assented to the Bill cited as the Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling (Special Provisions) Law, 2021 laws of Niger state.
Other bills signed into law included the Niger State Vigilante Corps (Amendment) Law, 2021; the Niger State House of Assembly Service Commission Law, 2020, the Office of the Auditor-General of the State Law, 2021 and the Office of the Auditor General of the Local Government Law, 2021.
Speaking at the brief signing ceremony, the governor said, “The Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling Special Provisions Law of 2016 is 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 him, informants and all those who aid and abate kidnappers would now have to face death sentence by hanging in public as now enshrined in the state law.
“The law now provides that whoever instigates any person to kidnap a person or rustle cattle or intentionally aides, abets or facilities by any acts of omission or commission of the offence of kidnapping and or cattle rustling is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to death by hanging in public.”
He said further that the punitive measure “is a good stride and has become necessary given the security challenges that have continued to threaten the peaceful co-existence of the state in particular and the country in general.”
The governor regretted the “unpatriotic activities of informants who have contributed to thwarting efforts of the security agencies in combating the nefarious activities of kidnappers and cattle rustlers.”
He also noted that the Vigilante Amendment Law was meant to invigorate and strengthen the state vigilance corps for better operational efficiency “in the discharge of their statutory function of complementing the effort of our conventional federal security forces.”
Meanwhile, Governor Bello has expressed the 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 executive and the legislature.
