The Nigerian Senate is considering making a new law that will prescribe the death penalty for kidnapping and hostage taking.

The Nigerian Senate is considering making a new law that will prescribe the death penalty for kidnapping and hostage taking.The recommendation was made in a report by the Joint Senate Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, following investigation of incidence of kidnapping and hostage taking across Nigeria.The Senate Join Committee stated that security agencies have not been able to perform optimally due to inadequate funding and lack of modern technology and equipments to support intelligence gathering.
The report also identified lack of synergy and intelligence sharing among security agencies, and recommended that law enforcement agencies should do more in that regard, as well as improve capacity building. While presenting the report, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator ABU IBRAHIM, said it was discovered that kidnapping for ransom which started in the Niger Delta region, has become a national issue.Our correspondent JAMES IGAH reports that based on the report, the Senate also asked state governments to enact laws that will enable security agencies to prosecute suspects involved in kidnapping and other related crimes.