14 January 2009
Umuahia — Governor Theodore Orji of Abia has signed the 2008 Abia Criminal Code Law that stipulates death penalty for kidnapping.Speaking after signing the law yesterday in Umuahia, Orji said it was to stop kidnapping for ransom.
He said anyone caught and found guilty would not only die, but forfeit his property to the government.
"This is one of the measures to tackle kidnapping and deal decisively with the culprits.
"Those apprehended were not prosecuted because this law had not been in existence, but today anyone found guilty of kidnapping will bear the brunt of the law," Orji said.
Also, addressing newsmen, the Deputy Speaker, House of Assembly, Chinedum Elechi, said that the previous punishment for kidnapping for ransom was 20 years imprisonment.
He said the amendment became necessary following the incessant cases of kidnapping recorded in recent times, which had caused image problem to the government.
He regretted that some persons had turned into a cartel by engaging boys who did the dirty deal for them as proceeds from the act were shared.
"Now, the law has been amended to make it a capital offence for offenders," Elechi said.
He stressed that the law did not only target the kidnappers, but also conspirators in the game.
The state has recorded several incidents of kidnapping of residents of the state and in one incident, the kidnap of Chief John Iruke, the state offered a reward of N1 million for information on his abductors.
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THANK GOD YOU WILL BE FINE SINCE YOU DID THIS. THIS ACT SHOULD BE A NATIONAL LAW. NO APPEALS KILL WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER CONVICTION!! TONY