President, Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali
The
President, Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali, has said kidnappers
should be treated as criminals and do not deserve amnesty. He said
kidnapping is a crime carried out by unknown persons for ransom and not
for a reasonable cause.
Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in
an interview with our correspondent, was reacting to the call by Mr.
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, for the Federal Government to grant amnesty to
kidnappers in the country after his release from abduction on Thursday.
The NBA president said, “Kidnapping is a
criminal offence and we don’t know if they are fighting for any known
cause. Therefore, they can’t be granted amnesty. Kidnapping is one of
the emerging crimes and those who kidnap people for ransom are not known
for fighting for any cause.
“They are not people you can call for
talks. What are you going to discuss? Who are you going to discuss with?
Who are the kidnappers; who knows them?”
Also, the Chairman, Nigeria Bar
Association, Lagos branch, Mr. Taiwo Taiwo, and constitutional law
expert, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, have also faulted the amnesty call.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, the lawyers said the call would encourage young Nigerians to take to crime.
Taiwo said, “I am totally against it.
This will only take criminality to a higher level and make people
believe that crime pays. You cannot place kidnappers on the same scale
with Niger Delta militants, who were clamouring for judicious use of
their resources.”
Sagay noted that kidnappers had no moral justification for terrorising and inflicting pains on innocent Nigerians.
“They are modern day robbers and lazy
people, who are looking for any excuse to inflict pains and sufferings
on innocent people so that they can get money cheaply. These people are
criminals and don’t deserve amnesty,” Sagay stated.
The Chairman, Lagos Chapter, Muslim
Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria, Mr. Mussodiq Sanni, also said amnesty
was not ideal for kidnappers.
He, however, urged the Federal
Government to provide employment opportunities for positive engagement
of the citizens, especially the youth.
“The major problem in Nigeria is unemployment, and Federal Government should tackle it,” he noted.
Ozekhome, who was kidnapped between Ehor
and Ekpoma Road in Edo State and was in captivity for two weeks, was
released on Wednesday after an undisclosed ransom was paid.
Punch
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