The Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun State, Oba Abdul Rasheed Akanbi, Telu 1, has proposed a death penalty for kidnappers as a measure to curb crimes and related offenses in the country. He made this suggestion during an interview on the sidelines of the 20th anniversary of British American Tobacco Nigeria, held at the Ibadan factory in Oyo State.
Civil society groups, represented by the Civil Society Joint Action Group, reported that 17,469 Nigerians were abducted between 2019 and the present under the administrations of Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu. The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, stated that insecurity persisted over the last three administrations, with 24,816 Nigerians killed and 15,597 abducted during President Buhari’s last term (2019-2023).
Oba Akanbi expressed concern about the rising insecurity and attributed some of the incidents to sabotage against the government. He specifically mentioned the involvement of locals in Ekiti State in kidnapping and killing Yoruba traditional rulers. The Oluwo of Iwoland proposed the death penalty for individuals engaged in kidnapping, emphasizing the need for strict laws to be implemented, similar to countries like Saudi Arabia and China, to effectively combat crime in Nigeria.
The event also featured remarks from the Chairman of BAT Nigeria Advisory Board, Kola Karim, who highlighted the contributions of the facility to economic growth, revenue generation, and employment. He called for continued government support and partnership with companies like BAT Nigeria that contribute to the nation’s economic development. The Managing Director, Yarub Al-Bahrani, emphasized the positive impact of BAT Nigeria on socio-economic development, job creation, and tax generation over the past two decades.
