To strengthen the battle against terrorism and banditry, the National Assembly yesterday proposed stiff penalties for kidnappings and other forms of violence.
The measures include imposition of the death penalty on convicted kidnappers, financiers and informants; ban on ransom payment, stoppage of negotiation with terrorists, and classification of kidnapping as terrorism.
The Senate took the hardline stance against the worsening wave of kidnapping after the debate on a bill seeking to amend the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The purpose of the amendment is to designate kidnapping, hostage-taking and related offences as acts of terrorism.
The amendment, sponsored by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, also seeks to empower security agencies with expanded operational and intelligence tools to dismantle kidnapping networks nationwide.
Also, the House of Representatives, which debated the security emergency, recommended that security expenditure should be placed on a ‘First Line Charge’ to guarantee predictable and timely funding.
The House also passed a resolution that all approved security budgets must be fully and promptly disbursed.
Both chambers of the National Assembly sought an immediate end to terrorism on a day the nominee for Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, was cleared by the Senate after screening.
Gen. Musa, who is likely to be sworn in today by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declared that he would not negotiate with any terrorist.
He also urged the government to ban illegal mining and procure drones to fight insurgency.
