Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris has called on the National Assembly to enact severe laws on kidnapping.
The police chief believes the act is gaining grounds due to lack of stringent laws to tackle it.
Idris made this known on Wednesday during his monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers.
The police boss said, “When I went to the National Assembly, I told them that what we need to challenge kidnapping is punishment. I think these boys see us parade people but they don’t see them taken to court or sentenced to death.
“In some states where kidnapping leads to death of somebody, the penalty is death but they only see the court sentencing such persons to 10 years or life imprisonment.
“I feel that is why they feel more relaxed and I told the National Assembly that we need to have more stringent punishment for kidnappers. I think that is the only way to check the menace because they see it as child’s play.
“If you go all over the Command across the states, you would discover that some of these youths are getting more involved in kidnapping. Like I told the National Assembly, I believe if we can get laws to check it, we are going to see several changes.
“In Niger Republic, a Boko Haram suspect was arrested and within one week, judgment was passed. That sent a very strong message that whoever that is planning to go into it should desist but here, we have suspects year in, year out, appearing in in court and matter continually adjourned.
“It does not serve as deterrent to them and even most of them kept in police cells are more comfortable there. So, I think to address the level of kidnapping in the country, a law should be passed.”
