TARABA State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has signed an amendment of the Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Act 2010 which prescribes death penalty and life imprisonment for kidnappers and abductors.
The governor signed the law yesterday after the state assembly passed the bill after third reading.
The special adviser to the Governor on media and publicity, Bala Dan Abuinformation disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
The bill, sponsored by a member of the State’ House of Assembly, Peter Abel Diah, was to ensure residents of Taraba were immune to the terror of kidnapping in the state.
According to the Diah, the law came as a result of rising concerns over the state of insecurity in Taraba, especially revolving kidnapping in the state.
He noted that under the new law, anybody found guilty of abduction or kidnapping in the state will pay the supreme price for it.
“In the past two years, not less than 20 persons, some of the government officials had been kidnapped from their homes and on the roads while travelling. It is expected that the new law will go along way in checking this menace.”
The new law prescribes punishment for violators as; any person who threatened to kill, maim, injure or cause panic in order to compel another person, corporate or government organisation to do or refrain from doing any act committed an offence and is liable on conviction to 20 years without an option of fine
Also, it says that any person who withholds details as to the existence of a kidnap group or is aware of the planning and execution of kidnap or abduction without informing relevant security agencies commits an offence and shall also be convicted to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The new law is an amendment of the Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Act 2010 by the Taraba State.
Taraba has been faced with various crimes of which kidnap is becoming more frequent, according to statistics reported on June 17. Security agentss have arrested not fewer than 32 suspects of kidnap as at when the report was filed.