BAYELSA: Gov Dickson threatens kidnappers with death penalty

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has warned those involved in kidnapping in the state to desist forthwith from the act as the government would clamp down on them.

According to Governor Dickson, he won’t hesitate to sign the execution order of convicted kidnappers, to send a signal that there is no hiding place for felons in the state.

The Governor was speaking in Bayelsa on Sunday following the conviction of individuals found guilty and sentenced to death by the state High Court for the kidnap and death of the uncle of former governor Timipre Sylva, Pa Benson Esinte Adigo, 87.

He further stressed that the security system put in place by his administration would ensure kidnappers get caught, and warned Bayelsans not to pay them ransom money.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to call on the young men who are into this nefarious act to stop it in their own interest. In this state, no matter how long it takes, if you kidnap someone, we will catch you.

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“There are so any convicts whose death warrants are on my table waiting to be signed. Any how you run, we will catch you.

“Those who kidnapped Sylva’s uncle, an old man, Chief Adigio, I think, he even died in their custody. So callous, so cruel.

“They have been convicted and sentenced to death. So, people should be careful. No matter how long. We will catch you. And you will pay the supreme price.

“If you go to the prison, you have so many of them in Okaka. Violent criminals all arrested. In this state, the system we have set up, you may succeed in kidnapping somebody but you may not get away with it because we will get you very shortly.

“I want to call on those young men who are into that to desist and allow other people to come out and see how you can be a useful member of our community.

“There are ways we can support and rehabilitate you. We can talk about that. How to rehabilitate you but this idea of kidnapping old men and women and taking them to the forest to ask for money; nobody has millions and millions to pay anybody.

“And for me, you know I have a policy of not paying. Even when my late mother was kidnapped, I never paid. And in certain cases, I shall waste no time in signing the death warrant for their execution,” he added.

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