The immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari (APC-Oyo North), has called for the introduction of death penalty for kidnapping and other violent crimes as a way of curbing the growing insecurity in the country.
He decried the high rate of criminal activities in the country, especially kidnapping and killing saying such have become a money making business for those involved.
Buhari, while addressing journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, insisted that if nothing drastic was done, the spate of kidnapping and killings across the country would continue unabated.
According to him, taking kidnappers to court was a long process that does not yield much result.
He said: “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.
“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 longer process,’’ he said.
Recalling how drug peddling was curtailed in the 80s through the introduction of death by firing squad, the lawmaker noted that the absence of punitive measures encourage kidnappers to continue in business.
“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.
He called on Nigerians to work with security agencies by providing them vital information on strange persons and movements around them.
He recalled the recent abduction of the son of a former health minister in Oyo State, saying the kidnappers could not have operated without information.
“I am sure some people would have supplied information to the culprits on the movement of the former minister’s son and the location of his farm.
”Nobody will tell me that Fulani herdsmen came from Niger Republic to abduct him without information,’’ he said.
Calling on the federal government to do what was necessary to tackle the problem, the lawmaker further admonished Nigerians not to politicise whatever measures the government comes up with pointing out that insecurity does not respect political party, tribe, religion or status.
