Enugu outlaws kidnapping, to demolish kidnappers’ den

Landlords in Enugu State will henceforth have their houses demolished if their property is used for kidnapping purposes.

In alternative, the houses could be forfeited to the state government.

This is the outcome of the amended Criminal Code law Cap 30 law of Enugu State, House Bill 12, 2016, passed into law Tuesday by the members of Enugu State House of Assembly.

‎By the passage of the law, kidnapping is now outlawed in the state as the state frowns at such despicable act being perpetrated in the state.

Speaking before the amended bill was passed into law, member representing Udenu Constituency and the Leader of the House, Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, who presented the bill, said that the law became necessary because kidnapping was alien to Nigeria, especially, Enugu State before dare-devils turned into a pass time and occupation.

Ezeugwu said that before kidnapping came down to Enugu, it was only heard that South South that expatriate working in oil companies were kidnapped for ransom but now, it is fast becoming a culture in the land.

“We used to hear about kidnapping of expatriate in the Niger Delta but when expatriate ran away, they started kidnapping our people,” Ezeugwu lamented and urged his colleague to pass the bill into law.

“The law has to be stringent so that before anybody thinks of kidnapping, he has to think twice. The question is that we adopt the amendment that buildings used for kidnapping be forfeited or demolished to deter people from engaging in kidnapping,” the leader submits.

Member representing Awgu North, Sunday Ude-Okoye, condemned kidnapping and hailed the law but however pointed out that some land owners may not be aware that their property is being used for criminal purposes like kidnapping.

Also speaking, member representing Awgu South,Hon. Nelson Uduji, said that the bill was not a contentious one and moved that the question be put.

In another development, the House also passed into law the bill seeking to amend the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu to be upgraded to a degree awarding institution that will have multi campuses.

Members who contributed to the debate said the upgrading of the Institute would change the segregation and marginalisation of the IMT graduates because of their diploma status.

The Institute, IMT, was established in 1973 shortly after the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War.