Delta State House of Assembly Approves Life Imprisonment for Kidnapping

The Delta State House of Assem­bly Thursday in Asaba, approved life im­prisonment for any per­son convicted of kidnap­ping in the state.

This was a fallout of an amendment of the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping Law 2016.

The state Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in a letter to the House, had appealed for reconsider­ation of Section 4, Sub-Section 1 of the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping Law, 2016 as passed by the House, which made provision for death pen­alty.

“The Right Honour­able Speaker and Hon­ourable Members of the House are aware that death penalty is globally no longer fashionable as it breaches human right to life and torture, both of which are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Besides, there is height­ened campaign and overwhelming support for the abolition of death penalty globally.

“Since the world is a global village, Delta State cannot be an exception, hence the passionate call to the House to recon­sider the Section under reference and change the death sentence pre­scribed therein to life imprisonment.

The law approved life imprisonment for any person who contravenes section (3) of the Law.

“Any person who contravenes section (3) of this law commits an offence and shall on con­viction be sentenced to life imprisonment with­out fine”