‘Taking kidnapers to court, a long process,’ Senator Buhari recommends death penalty

A senator representing Oyo North, Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari, on Sunday suggested death penalty for anyone caught culpable in crime relating to kidnapping and other related offences in order to curtail the worrisome insecurity in the country.

Buhari, while speaking with newsmen, argued that death penalty was one of the quickest ways the president could curtail the growing insecurity challenge in the country.

“These heinous crimes against humanity have gone beyond the normal Fulani herdsmen attacks and have become a real trade for those who engage in them.

“Let me be honest with you, the situation is nationwide and very worrisome. I believe and I am afraid because Nigerians themselves are yet to take drastic measures.

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“I believe by the time anyone caught in the act faces death penalty other people will learn and stop.

“Kidnappers have been arrested, nothing has been done to them. I believe taking them to court is a long process,’’ he said.

He recalled how then the increasing rate of drug peddling was stemmed in the 80s through a drastic measure, adding that lots of people abandoned the trade as soon as the government made those caught in the act to face the firing squad.

The lawmaker said that the absence of such a punitive measure gives those involved in the recent inhuman activities liberty to continue recruiting young people.

”Today, going to Saudi Arabia, Bangkok, Singapore or India with drugs or to commit other forms of crime attract death penalty and such had to an extent stemmed the trend.

“Nigerians are very stubborn people; they won’t change except there is a deterrent. These people collect cash from victims and take it to banks but the banks have not been reporting receipt of strange money accounts,” he said.

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