Atiku approves death sentence for kidnappers, life imprisonment for rapist

Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu has assented to five laws.

According to a statement made available to reporters in Birnin Kebbi by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Hajiya Rahmatu Adamu Gulma, with the assenting into Law of the Model Penal Code 2021, punishment of kidnapping in Kebbi State under section 247 of the law is death.

Furthermore, punishment for rape under Section 259 Sub-Section 1 is life imprisonment.

The statement added that Bagudu in December 2020, assented to administration and collection of revenue due to the state and local government councils in Kebbi State.

The laws as follows: the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2021, the Model Penal Code Law 2021, a law to repeal and to re-enact Law Number 3 of 2002, the establishment of Kebbi State College of Nursing Sciences , Birnin Kebbi,2021.

The rest are:, a law to repeal and to re-enact Law Number 10 of 2004, the establishment of Kebbi State College of Health Technology, Jega, 2021 and a law to repeal and re-enact Law no 5 of 1993 , the establishment of Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, 2021.

The AG made it clear that with the coming into law of the administration of criminal justice, there would be less custodial sentencing as the Courts would have the flexibility of non-custodial sentencing for minor offences.

She explained that prisons would therefore be less congested and there would be accelerated and speedy trials of criminal offences.