The Enugu State Government has threatened to demolish buildings and other properties used for aiding and abetting kidnapping in Enugu State.
The state government said the properties include private homes and business premises used to keep kidnap victims.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Onyia, a professor, said the step was a continuation of the effort by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration to rid the state of crimes.
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What the law said
The Enugu State House of Assembly, in November 2016, amended the Criminal Code Law of Enugu State, which was subsequently signed into law by the then governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on 20 January 2017.
Section 315 of the Criminal Code (Second Amendment) Law CAP. 30, Laws of Enugu State, says that: “If the building or structure owned by the offender or any other person, who knows or ought to reasonably know that the building or structure is so being used for that purpose, the building or structure shall be demolished or forfeited to the state government.”
‘Why we’re taking time to enforce the law’
Mr Onyia explained that Governor Mbah’s administration has not enforced the law because it was taking time to carry out due diligence to ensure that nobody suffers undue losses or miscarriage of justice.
The SSG warned property owners to take necessary steps to know their prospective tenants before leasing properties to them.
“Now, after due diligence, the government has compiled the properties used for kidnapping purposes in recent times, and they will go down sooner than later to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
“There is no hiding place for criminals in Enugu State. They either repent, leave town or meet their Waterloo. The choice is theirs.”
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