₦airaland Forum

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has thrown his weight behind death penalty for kidnappers.

He has also applauded President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security, hailing the recent rescue of kidnapped children and pledging the Senate’s support for stronger deterrents against violent crime, including capital punishment for kidnapping.

Speaking on Thursday, at the 14th National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC at the State House Conference Centre, iAbuja, Akpabio commended what he described as the President’s “decisive leadership” in confronting insecurity and restoring regional stability.

He prayed for the safe return of remaining abductees and offered condolences to the military personnel and civilians who lost their lives during recent rescue operations.

“We condole with families who have lost loved ones, including members of the armed forces who died protecting lives and property. We will stand with their families in this moment of grief,” he said.

Akpabio linked domestic safety to events beyond Nigeria’s borders, commending Tinubu’s intervention to stabilise democracy in Benin Republic.

“If our neighbours are not stable, Nigeria cannot be stable,” he said, emphasising the Senate’s backing.

He also highlighted new legislative measures aimed at deterrence, noting that kidnapping has now been placed on the same legal footing as terrorism.

“Kidnappers will face the death sentence once the President assents to the bill,” he said, warning that failure to enforce capital sanctions risks further jailbreaks and killings.

"Our administration is resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine — a holistic redesign anchored on unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability, and counter-insurgency.

This new doctrine will fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and other violent crimes.

Henceforth, and under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists.

These include bandits, militias, armed gangs, criminal networks with weapons, armed robbers, violent cult groups, forest-based armed collectives, and foreign-linked mercenaries.

Groups or individuals conducting violence for political, ethnic, financial, or sectarian objectives are also classified as terrorists. Members of any group extorting communities, kidnapping civilians, occupying or seeking to occupy territory within Nigeria will be classified as terrorists.

The denominator is that if you wield lethal weapons and act outside the state's authority, you are a terrorist. Any individual or entity that enables the listed groups as financiers, money handlers, harbourers, informants, ransom facilitators, and negotiators will also be classified as terrorists. Political protectors and intermediaries, transporters, arms suppliers, and safe-house owners will be declared as terrorists.

Politicians, traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious leaders who facilitate and encourage violent actions and terror within Nigeria and against our citizens are also terrorists.

Opidondon:
He should add corruption to the list, I wan check something.
Not supporting kidnapping sha o,

Pakute:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/akpabio-backs-death-penalty-for-kidnappers-hails-tinubus-kidnap-rescue-feat-pledges-bloc-votes-for-2027/

FarahAideed:
We should also have death sentence fir anyone found paying ransom ... Paying ransom is nothing but funding terrorism , this is the only solution to this problem

Putindbutt:
This Administration is gradually setting a high standard that will be very tough for successive Governments to surpass.

FarahAideed:
We should also have death sentence fir anyone found paying ransom ... Paying ransom is nothing but funding terrorism , this is the only solution to this problem

Opidondon:
He should add corruption to the list, I wan check something.
Not supporting kidnapping sha o,

geoworldedu:
Senseless post. When they kidnap your wife, don't pay ransome, you hear?