The Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Mr Ahmed Marafa, has called for harsher penalties for the crimes of kidnapping and cattle rustling in the state.
Speaking in Minna on Tuesday at a public hearing on a bill for a law to penalise kidnapping and cattle rustling, Marafa said that the two crimes were taking a huge toll on the state, hence the need for laws to deal with the menace.
“These two crimes are taking a toll not on only Niger state but the country as a whole.
“Cases of kidnapping and cattle rustling used to be alien to us in this state; but now they have become the order of the day, which is unfortunate,’’ he said
He lamented the absence of provisions in the Penal Code to deal with the twin menace.
“Often times when people are arrested for those crimes, there are no sufficient laws to prosecute them.
“The Penal Code only touched on abduction of minors and does not even provide any clear cut penalty and that is probably why those crimes are on the rise.
“We need to address that lacuna and that is why we have invited all the relevant stakeholders on finding a lasting solution."
Marafa described the proposed bill as a proof of the state government's commitment to improving security of lives and property.
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