Uncategorized

Kidnapping: Senate Insists on Death Penalty for Perpetrators, Financiers, Informants

Published

11 months ago

December 3, 2025

By Hassan Taiye

In its efforts to decisively address the spate of insecurity nationwide, the Senate Wednesday extensively debated the proposed amendment to the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, insisting on prescribing death penalty for kidnappers and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations.

The upper chamber also unanimously agreed to the proposals that would authorise law enforcement agencies to dismantle kidnapping networks by enabling stronger enforcement as well as placing kidnapping under the terrorism framework anywhere in the federation.

Led by Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the debate took place at the plenary on Wednesday with contributions from Chairman, Senate Committee on Interiors, Senator Adam Oshomhole; Chairman, Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Abba Moro, among others.

After exhaustive debates across the political divides at its Chamber, the senate, presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, unanimously approved amendments to the he Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act as proposed by the senate leader.

Consequently, Akpabio referred the bill to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Committee on National Security and Intelligence as well as the Committee on Interior for further consultation and fine tuning at the public hearing.

While he noted that the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters would be the lead committee, Akpabio mandated the committees to report back to the Senate in two weeks.

Leading debate on the bill Wednesday, Bamidele explained the essence of the amendment was to designate kidnapping, hostage-taking and related offences as acts of terrorism and prescribe the death penalty for such offences without option of fine or alternative sentence; and for related matters.

He justified the gravity of the prescribed penalty for kidnapping, hostage-taking and other related offences, noting that such offences “have become one of the most pervasive and destructive crimes in our nation today. What were once isolated incidents have escalated into coordinated, commercialised, and militarised acts of violence perpetrated by organised criminal groups .

Across every region of our country, the senate leader argued that kidnapping “has instilled widespread fear in communities; undermined national economic activities and agricultural output; interrupted children’s education; bankrupted families forced to pay ransom; overstretched our security forces, and claimed countless innocent lives.

He, further, argued that the patterns of organisation, brutality, and destabilisation associated with kidnapping “now carry all the characteristics of terrorism. It is no longer adequate to treat these acts as ordinary criminal offences. The legal framework must reflect the true magnitude of the threat.”

Having the collateral consequence of kidnapping and hostage-taking on family, economy and polity, Bamidele said the bill was designed to designate kidnapping and hostage-taking as acts of terrorism.

He, therefore, noted that classifying kidnapping, hostage-taking and other related offences as acts of terrorism would no doubt empower our security agencies with broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools available under counter-terrorism law.

Besides designating kidnapping as acts of terrorism, Bamidele said the bill prescribed death penalty “not only for the perpetrators and financiers of such heinous acts, but also for their informants, logistics providers, harbourers, transporters, and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations.

“Attempt, conspiracy, or incitement to kidnap attracts the same penalty. This strong deterrent is necessary to confront kidnapping at the scale it currently operates,” the senate leader pointed out with the resolve to strengthen internal peace and stability.

He also noted that the bill was aimed “at dismantling kidnapping networks by enabling stronger enforcement: By placing kidnapping under the terrorism framework, agencies can pursue asset tracing and forfeiture, intelligence-led operations, inter-agency coordination, swift pre-trial procedures under terrorism laws and disruption of funding and logistics chains.”

While urging his colleagues, Bamidele pointed out that Nigerians “are kidnapped on highways, in schools, in homes, on farms, and in markets. Innocent children, vulnerable women, hardworking men, traditional rulers, travelers, and public servants have all become targets.

“These criminals kill victims even after ransom is paid; subject victims to brutal torture; rape, mutilate, and starve hostages and use ransom proceeds to fund more weapons and more crimes. This is not a mere crime. It is terrorism in its purest form.

“Our moral, constitutional, and legislative duty is to protect Nigerian lives. If an offence repeatedly results in mass murder, mass fear, mass displacement, and systemic destabilization, then the strongest legal sanction becomes necessary

“This Bill does not target communities or innocent persons. It targets violent offenders and the networks that enable them. All prosecutions will still comply with constitutional guarantees, due process, rights to fair trial, and judicial oversight.”

“The menace of kidnapping has reached a level that threatens our national unity, our economic stability, and the safety of every Nigerian family. It is a war on the people, and our response must be firm, decisive, and unambiguous.

Also at the plenary Wednesday, Oshiomole threw his weight behind Bamidele’s amendment to the Terrorism Act, though faulted the deradicalisation programmes, which according to him, had not prevented extremists, hostage takers, kidnappers and terrorists from such heinous crimes.

Oshiomole, thus, said the bill would end mischief in the act of terrorism in which “a terrorist will be arrested and allowed to go without facing consequence of his crimes in the name of deradicalisation

“Some of these guys went back to their crimes. We should not continue with deradicalisation programmes again. We cannot spend so much money on prosecution and the suspects will not face the wrath of law.
“Even the Bible and Quran say those who are killed have no right to be alive.. No more de-radicalization. If you are caught and convicted for acts of terrorism, then the penalty should be death,” Oshiomole said.

Contributing to the debate,Kalu observed that the senate unanimously “agreed with this bill. It is a natural thing for us to approve the bill. As a consequence, informants, sponsors and everybody involved in kidnapping, hostage and other related offence must face the consequence,

“Nigerians have suffered in the hands of kidnappers. Young girls have been raped. Women have become widows for no reason. This must not continue again,” Kalu called attention of his colleagues to untold and grievous pains that Nigerians had suffered.

The minority leader also lent his voice to the bill, pointing out that the bill “is a unanimous decision of the Senate. It is a very straightforward bill, I think we should go ahead and allow this bill to be passed into second reading with the hope that kidnappers will face capital punishment.”

Although he noted that kidnapping had become a business enterprise. More firmly observed that the senate “can never continue to terrorise. Hence, this bill becomes expedient as one of the measures that the senate will come up with to address kidnapping, hostage-taking and other related offenses.

In his presentation, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Population and NIMC. Senator Victor Umeh condemned in strong terms kidnapping and gruesome murder of victims for no just cause.

He added that the trend of such crimes “will no doubt compel men of conscience to rise in support of the bill. They will collect ransome and still kill their victims. We should do everything to amend the Terrorism Act to classify kidnapping, hostage-taking and other related offences as acts of terrorism. We have to go dig into the people who facilitate this criminal enterprise. Financial institutions are also part of it.”

Uncategorized

Kwara celebrates Fela’s legacy with retrospective exhibition

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

Our Reporter

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Government has celebrated the life and enduring influence of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, with a retrospective exhibition aimed at preserving African cultural heritage and inspiring younger generations.

The exhibition, titled Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: A Retrospective, was opened by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the Institute of Contemporary African Art and Film in Ilorin on Monday.

The Governor said the establishment of the institute reflected his administration’s belief that development should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include spaces that promote creativity, knowledge and economic opportunities.

“When we established the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, our vision was clear: development must go beyond roads, bridges and buildings to create spaces for creativity, knowledge and opportunity,” AbdulRazaq said.

According to him, cultural infrastructure plays an important role in connecting people to their history, broadening their imagination and encouraging critical thinking.

“Physical infrastructure connects places; cultural infrastructure connects people to their history, expands their imagination and challenges their thinking,” the Governor said.

AbdulRazaq said the institute was established to preserve African stories, nurture talents and showcase the continent’s artists and thinkers to the world,
describing the decision to open the institution with an exhibition dedicated to Fela as significant, given the musician’s contribution to African music, social commentary and cultural expression.

“Fela was more than a musician. Through his music and artistic expression, he challenged conventions and confronted society with questions about power, freedom, identity and justice,” he added.

The Governor added that the late musician’s life demonstrated the capacity of artistic expression to influence public discourse and inspire social change.

The exhibition, curated by June Creative Art Advisory, led by its founder, Mrs Seun Alli, featured photography, archival materials, film, graphic works and other artistic expressions exploring Fela’s life, times and enduring influence.

AbdulRazaq commended the firm for bringing its curatorial expertise and creative vision to the project, while describing the exhibition as an opportunity for different categories of visitors to engage with the musician’s legacy.

He said the exhibition would provide students with learning opportunities beyond the classroom, inspire artists, support researchers and encourage young people to explore the creative industry.

“For students, this is a classroom beyond the classroom; for artists, inspiration; for researchers, an opportunity for deeper inquiry; and for young people, a reminder that creativity offers both self-expression and economic opportunity,” he said.

The Governor clarified that the state government was not claiming ownership of Fela’s story but was providing a platform for younger generations to encounter and learn from his legacy, adding that the state government is optimistic that the institute would promote cultural education, encourage creative enterprise, attract visitors and strengthen Kwara State’s position in Nigeria’s cultural and creative landscape.

According to him, the institution’s success would be measured by the talents it nurtured, the ideas it inspired and the opportunities it created.

“Governments change, but institutions should endure,” the Governor said, expressing the hope that the exhibition would mark the beginning of sustained cultural engagement at the institute.

“May this exhibition begin sustained cultural engagement at ICAAF and inspire our young people to create, question, discover and contribute to society,” he said.

AbdulRazaq added that the initiative reflected his administration’s commitment to building a state where cultural heritage, innovation and economic opportunities complemented one another.

In her address, the Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju, said: “Today’s exhibition offers us an opportunity to revisit the life and works of Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti and appreciate how his music, ideas and artistic expression continue to influence generations.

“For the Ministry of Communications, this occasion speaks to an important part of our
mandate: promoting the stories, talents and creative expressions that shape our identity as a people.”

The Commissioner particularly noted that under Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership, the State is creating opportunities for young people through investments in sectors such as film, fashion and technology.

She added: “Projects including
the Sugar Film Factory, the Garment Factory and the Ilorin Innovation Hub reflect the administration’s commitment to developing talent and supporting enterprise.

“The Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, formerly the Ilorin Visual Arts Centre, adds an important dimension to this effort. It provides a platform for artistic expression, cultural learning and creative collaboration.

“We want young Kwarans who are passionate about painting, photography, filmmaking, fashion and design to see ICAAF as a place where they can explore their interests, learn from others and showcase their talents.

“We also encourage students to engage with art and history beyond the classroom. Fela’s story is a fitting subject for this exhibition. It demonstrates how creativity
can go beyond entertainment to shape cultural identity and influence public conversations. There is much for our young people to learn from his artistic journey and enduring impact.

“It might also interest you that kwara state was also part of Fela’s creative showcase during his lifetime.”

Uncategorized

2027: Ilorin West LG Boss Leads APC Mega Rally In Ubandawaki

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

Our Reporter

•••Says Ward stands with APC

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Executive Chairman of the Ilorin West Local Government, Mallam Shehu AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, has led an All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally in Ubandawaki Ward, reaffirming the commitment of party members and supporters to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The rally attracted party leaders, grassroots mobilisers, youths, women, and other stakeholders who gathered to demonstrate their support for the party.

Addressing the gathering, Chairman Ladan declared that Ubandawaki Ward remains committed to the APC and its political leadership, expressing support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu (SYD), alongside other party candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The Chairman emphasised the importance of unity, peaceful political engagement, and sustained grassroots mobilisation in strengthening the party’s structure ahead of the forthcoming elections, urging party faithful to remain united, engage constructively with residents, and work collectively towards the party’s political objectives.

Ladan also acknowledged the importance of Ubandawaki Ward in the political landscape of Ilorin West, encouraging party leaders and supporters to maintain cordial relationships, promote inclusive participation, and sustain engagement with the electorate. He stressed that a united party structure would help strengthen internal cooperation and effective grassroots coordination.

The mega rally renewed calls for unity, loyalty, and peaceful political participation among APC members and supporters, underscoring commitment by participants to mobilising support for the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, while promoting peace, development, and responsible democratic engagement across Ilorin West Local Government Area.

Uncategorized

KW-IRS Staff Threaten Strike Over Alleged Poor Remuneration

Published

6 days ago

October 21, 2026

Our Reporter

Mgt Accuses Union Of Dishing Out False Staff Remuneration Scale

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The staff of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have lamented poor welfare conditions, rising living costs and stagnant salaries they have been subjected to, despite their contributions to the state’s revenue generation.

In a statement issued by the KWIRS chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the workers lamented that their sacrifice and professionalism, which have helped to place Kwara State among the more self-reliant states in the country, have not been matched with corresponding improvement in their welfare.

The workers questioned the disparity between their contributions to the state’s revenue and their welfare, saying many of them are battling financial hardship.

“We block leakages. We are posted to hospitals and other MDAs to secure government revenue. We work under pressure day and night but we continue to struggle to meet basic needs due to poor salaries.”

The association further expressed concern that personnel costs had remained unchanged for years while other expenditure heads had continued to increase.

It also cited a salary negotiation agreement dated October 11, 2022, which reportedly stated that the adjustment would be implemented “as soon as it can be accommodated in the budget.”

According to the workers, nearly four years after the agreement, there had been no implementation or clear indication of when the adjustment would take effect, despite the rising cost of living.

The staff said expenses on school fees, house rent, transportation and food had increased significantly while their salaries remained unchanged. “We smile outside but the majority of us are bleeding inside. We cannot continue to generate wealth for the state while we wallow in abject poverty,” they declared.

Urging their colleagues to remain united and resolute in pursuing improved welfare, the association said the workers should not expect better conditions without collectively standing up for their interests.

It called on members to remain calm, vigilant and prayerful as a 14-day period beginning October 15, 2026, counts down, without specifying further details in the statement about the expected action at its conclusion.

Reacting to the KW-IRS staff allegations, the Management, while
reaffirm its commitment to professionalism, political neutrality and its statutory mandate, expressed dismay over public speculation on staff remuneration and attempts to politicise unverified internal administrative communications.

“Management is concerned by attempts to exploit unverified internal administrative communications for political purposes, create unnecessary tension and distract the Service from its responsibilities. KWIRS will not be distracted from its mandate by such narratives,” said the Management.

It added: “The isolated salary figures being circulated on social media do not represent the full remuneration structure or total emoluments of KWIRS staff. Staff compensation extends beyond regular monthly salaries and includes the following benefits, in accordance with applicable policies and approved arrangements:

“Annual and Performance-Related Bonuses: Annual, festive, and situational bonuses linked to revenue performance milestones and staff performance and situational economic palliatives are paid periodically to staff members

“Annual Leave Allowance: A separate annual payment in addition to regular monthly remuneration.
Staff Welfare and Operational Support: Structured measures designed to support staff welfare and professional development throughout their careers.

“Accordingly, assessing staff remuneration solely on selectively circulated salary figures presents an incomplete picture of the Service’s compensation and welfare structure.

“Management remains committed to staff welfare, motivation and professional development. The Service will continue to strengthen policies and operational processes that support staff well-being and performance, within government-approved resource allocations and applicable administrative frameworks. The Service remains one of the Government Institutions with the most recruitment requests and this is a testament of Management’s commitment to staff welfare.

“KWIRS urges members of the public, taxpayers and other stakeholders to disregard unverified and misleading narratives, verify information before sharing it, and rely on official Service communications for accurate information about its operations and staff policies.

“All stakeholders are encouraged to refrain from politicising internal administrative matters or spreading claims capable of undermining institutional harmony and public confidence.

“KWIRS remains focused on its statutory responsibilities and committed to mobilising revenue for the economic growth and sustainable development of Kwara State.”