The Imo State House of Assembly yesterday amended the law on kidnapping and hostage taking by kidnappers insisting that anyone found guilty as well as their accomplices would face stiffer sanctions.
According to the ruling of the House, every kidnapper will be killed and all his properties any were in the world will be transferred to the government. It went further to state that the land where a victim or victims are held hostage would also be owned by the government.
This was the resolution of the House after the reports of the committee that reviewed the bill was deliberated on the floor of the House. The Bill was sponsored by Hon. Simeon Iwunze, member representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency. The bill was designed to amend Law No 2 of Imo state, prohibiting the Act of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
During the argument, Hon Obioma Ekennia initially suggested that only the kidnappers’ personal properties should be confiscated as the land used for the act might be rented out innocently to suspected kidnappers.
In his own argument, Hon. Celestine Ngobiwu of Obowo State Constituency disagreed with Hon. Ekennia, stating that he was a victim and knows how he suffered in the hands of the perpetrators. He posited that the confiscation of the land used for the hostage will make every community and land owners conscious of what their lands and properties are used for.
The House finally rose from its sitting passing the recommendation of the committee into law and asked the Clerk of the House to send the Bill to the Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha for accent to become law.
