With the wild spate of kidnappings in the country, the National Assembly has been mulling the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2021, proposed to deter family and well-wishers of victims from paying ransom to kidnappers. Nigerian lawmakers think the deterrence would plug the hole of kidnappings – an absurd idea.
The bill stipulates a penalty of 15 years imprisonment for people whose family members or friends have been kidnapped, even when the police force is frustratingly incompetent. This approach of criminalisation needs to be reconsidered…..
To read more, check full article on The Nation.