The Nigerian Senate has adopted a new resolution designating kidnapping as an act of terrorism and calling for amendments to the Terrorism Act to impose the harshest possible penalties on offenders.
During Wednesday’s plenary, senators agreed that once the law is updated, anyone convicted of kidnapping should automatically face the death penalty. The decision reflects growing alarm over the rising wave of abductions across the country and what lawmakers describe as an urgent need for stronger deterrents.
“The resolution mandates that, upon conviction for kidnapping, the death penalty must be enforced,” the Senate declared, stressing that the measure is intended to curb the surge in kidnappings and send a firm warning to perpetrators.
In 2020, the Senate had passed a bill prescribing life imprisonment for kidnapping, amending Section 364 of the Criminal Code Act, which previously carried a 10-year sentence. That bill, sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), followed the review of a report by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters led by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central).
Bamidele explained then that the persistent rise in kidnapping and its devastating impact—including widespread trauma and loss of lives—made it necessary to impose stiffer penalties to adequately punish offenders and deter others.
The 2020 amendment also removed gender restrictions in rape provisions and extended the prosecution window for defilement cases by eliminating the former two-month limit.
Kidnapping has since escalated to alarming levels nationwide, with several recent incidents—including the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states—reinforcing public fear and intensifying calls for stronger action.
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