Kidnapping Training School Uncovered in Delta state

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state, Nigeria, weekend, explained why
he would not sign into law, the Bill passed by the state House of
Assembly, prescribing death penalty for kidnappers, describing the
Bill as a duplication of efforts.

He also said that a school for training of kidnappers had been
uncovered in the state.

Speaking at Unity Hall at Government House, Asaba,  on questions posed
to him at a town hall meeting during the visit of the Good Governance
tour team, led by Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, to the
state, he said:  "As a state government, we have been dealing with
kidnapping. Presently, we have been able to identify some hot spots in
the state, what are called the red spots, where kidnappers are
trained. We have identified those areas.

"We are strategising on security for those areas and that is why, in
the last few weeks, you could see that the incidence of kidnapping has
gone down. There are other strategies we are still working on to deal
with kidnapping, which I cannot disclose here.

"Another question is, why are we having issues with death penalty for
kidnappers? There is already a death penalty in our laws. Every
kidnapper is an armed robber, I believe, so I don't know why we are
talking today of death penalty for kidnappers. When you go to court,
the case is usually kidnapping/armed robbery. Why do I have to sign
another law for kidnappers?

"Once you are a kidnapper, you are also an armed robber. The law is
already there to sentence kidnappers to death. And I must say that in
this state, in the last few months, our judges have been bold enough
to convict many kidnappers. They are working hard to sentence more
kidnappers."