Insecurity: Nigerian lawmakers insist on death penalty for kidnappers as bill passes second reading at Senate

A bill seeking to amend Nigeria’s Anti-Terrorism Act to impose death penalty without the option of a fine for all kidnapping offences has passed second reading in the Senate.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage during Wednesday’s plenary after a majority of senators supported it through a voice vote.

Following its passage, the bill was referred to the Senate Committees on Human Rights and Legal Matters, National Security and Intelligence and Interior for public hearing. The committees were directed to report back within two weeks.

The bill, titled “Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 (SB.969),” was sponsored collectively by all the senators and presented by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).

The bill was initially introduced for first reading on the floor of the senate on 27 November, a day after the Senate resolved to amend the country’s terrorism law to classify kidnapping as terrorism and make it punishable by death, eliminating both the option of a fine and judicial discretion. 

During the session on that day, the senate president directed Mr Bamidele to urgently prepare the amendment. Its speedy progression to second reading within a week shows the parliament’s readiness to adopt capital punishment as a statutory penalty for kidnapping.

Presentation of the bill

While presenting the bill, Mr Bamidele lamented the increasing incidents of kidnappings across the country and how it has transformed into well coordinated, commercialised and militarised acts of violence.

“The bill seeks to amend the extant law to, among other things, designate kidnapping, hostage taking, and related offences as acts of terrorism and to prescribe death penalty for such offences without option of fine or alternative sentence, among others.

“The contemplation of this bill, Mr President and my colleagues, is a direct response to one of the gravest security challenges threatening the lives, livelihoods, and future of our people. It is a known fact that in our country today, kidnapping has become one of the most pervasive and destructive crimes.

What once started as isolated incidents have now escalated into a well-coordinated, commercialised, and highly militarised acts of violence perpetrated by organised criminal groups,” he said.

The senator noted that kidnapping has crippled economic activities, disrupted agriculture, interrupted children’s education, bankrupted families forced to pay ransom, claimed innocent lives, and overstretched security agencies.

“So prevalent is the kidnapping situation that there is hardly any region of our country that no kidnapping cases are reported. This development has instilled widespread fear in communities, undermined national economic activities and agricultural output, interrupted children’s education, bankrupted families due to payment of ransom, claimed countless innocent lives, as well as overstretched our security forces,” he added.

Objectives of the bill

While outlining the objectives of the bill, Mr Bamidele said it seeks to classify kidnapping as an act of terrorism, prescribe death penalty for anyone involved in such offences, and strengthen efforts to dismantle kidnapping and terrorism networks.

“The objectives of this bill, Mr. President and distinguished colleagues, are threefold. One, it seeks to designate kidnapping and hostage-taking as acts of terrorism. This classification will further empower our security agencies with broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools available under counter terrorism law.

“Secondly, the bill seeks to prescribe death penalty without an option of fine or lesser sentence for kidnapping and hostage-taking because of their catastrophic impact on national security and the well-being of the people. This stringent punishment is to serve as deterrence to perpetrators.

“Thirdly, Mr. President and distinguished colleagues, the bill seeks to dismantle kidnapping networks by enabling stronger enforcement regime aimed at placing kidnapping under the terrorism framework, where relevant agencies can pursue asset tracing and for future intelligence-led operations, interagency coordination, swift pre-trial procedures under terrorism laws, as well as disruption of funding and logistics chains.”

The senate leader stressed that once the Anti-Terrorism Act is amended, it will help to weaken the infrastructure that sustains kidnapping syndicates.

“Mr. President and distinguished colleagues, the pattern of organisation, brutality, and destabilisation associated with kidnapping now carry all the characteristics of terrorism. Therefore, it is no longer feasible to treat these acts as ordinary criminal offenses. As such, the legal framework reflects the true magnitude of the threat.This will ultimately help to weaken the infrastructure that sustains kidnapping syndicates.”

The debate

Many senators who contributed to the debate supported the bill.

Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) criticised the deradicalisation of repentant Boko Haram members, saying some returned to terrorism.

Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, argued that offenders convicted of killing others should face the death penalty.

Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) urged lawmakers to target not only kidnappers but also informants and property owners who provide hideouts.

Although Mr Kalu, a former governor, noted that his Christian faith does not support the death penalty, he said he would back it in this instance.

The Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, lamented that kidnapping has become a major commercial enterprise.

Victor Umeh (APGA, Anambra Central) urged senators to include financial institutions in the bill, noting that ransom payments often pass through banks.

He called for measures to identify sponsors and strengthen enforcement so that convicted kidnappers understand the consequences.

“We have to go to financial institutions through which the payment of ransom is received. Our laws forbid the payment. We have to identify appropriate measures for financial institutions. The law should take care of the sponsors and the kidnappers. In making this law, there must be political will in executing the penalty.

“This law when passed shall be given that authorisation for the execution of people who have been convicted. When kidnappers are caught they should know that the price is death. When you speak with victims who managed to escape you’ll see that these people who are carrying out this act are not human beings,” he said.

Responding, Mr Akpabio said the public hearing would address the role of sponsors and accomplices in kidnapping networks.

The senate president stressed the need for political will, insisting that the Senate must demonstrate seriousness in combating insecurity.

“In the course of the public hearing, I hope we’ll capture the sponsors or kidnappers and the appropriate punishments will be given to them.

“We have to show resolutions, we have to show seriousness. Once the law is passed, it’ll override anything done in the state. We have to protect our country, we have to protect our future. Someone who is to become a doctor would end up becoming kidnapped because it’s somehow becoming like a profession,” he added.