Dickson prescribes death sentence for kidnappers

Posted by admin Headlines, State News Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has
prescribed death penalty for kidnappers.

A bill to this effect will be forwarded to the State House of Assembly
for passage into law.

The State House of Assembly in 2012 passed into law, an Executive
bill prohibiting Secret Cult, Kidnapping and related vices.

Making this known during the swearing in ceremony of Chairman and
members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Agbere communal
crisis, held at the Government House, Yenagoa, the Governor said
that he would not hesitate to sign the death warrant of kidnappers or
those attempting to commit the crime as government would no longer
condone acts of lawlessness.

“We have made it very clear that wherever there is any breach of the
peace and breakdown of law and order, this government will use all
its resources and authority to ensure that the right thing is done and
people are brought to book”, the Governor warned.

He threatened that any traditional ruler caught aiding and abetting
kidnapping and other related vices would be dealt with in accordance
with the law.

The Bill, according to the Governor, became imperative in order to
forestall disruption of government’s developmental projects.

He thereby urged youths to take advantage of government’s policies
and programmes geared towards building their capacity.

His words, “let me also use this occasion to sound a clear note of
warning in this state, we thought we were through with kidnappings in
this state…but just one incident of kidnapping is bad enough for us.

“We have a situation where we have an ambitious programme of
infrastructural turn around of the state because there is work going
on in every community of the state and it will be so for quite
sometime, therefore we do not want to tolerate even one case of
kidnapping of anybody.

“We are aware that if this trend is not checked, those who do not
wish this state well will easily use that to foment crisis, scare
investors, give our state a continuous bad name and stall our
development”.

However, he commended law-abiding youths of the state noting that
reports reaching government indicated that there have been no
cases of disruption of on going projects across the state.

Delivering the 4 point terms of reference, the Governor charged the
Commission of Inquiry to unravel the immediate and remote causes
of the Agbere communal crisis, identify the principal actors and their
sponsors.

He also asked the commission to determine the extent of the damage
to property and loss of human lives as well as make necessary
recommendations and measures to ensure sanity and normalcy.

The Commission has Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro as Chairman and Mr.
Diepreye Omubo as the secretary.
Other members are, Barr. Henry Apeli, Mr. Emienbo Assayomo and
Mr. Brown Ekwuoba.

Responding, Chairman of the Commission, Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro
assured that they would discharge their duties satisfactorily to the
best of their ability without fear or favour.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa Statewp_posts