The Nigerian Senate has formally declared kidnapping to be an act of terrorism and endorsed the imposition of the death penalty for anyone convicted of the crime.
The resolution, passed during Wednesday’s plenary session by a voice vote, stipulates that a death sentence must be applied in all such cases — with “no option of fines” and “no room for judicial leniency.”
According to the Senate president, once a court establishes a kidnapping conviction, “the maximum punishment — death — must follow.”
The decision arose from mounting alarm over the surge of abductions across the country. One triggering event was the November 18 attack on a church in Eruku, Kwara State, where gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted 38 others.
Lawmakers described a frightening trend of kidnappings targeting civilians, schools, churches, and entire communities — a downward spiral that has disrupted education, created mass fear, and strained public confidence in security.
In justifying the resolution, senators warned that bandits and criminal gangs have become increasingly sophisticated — exploiting porous forest corridors, poor road infrastructure and weak intelligence to carry out large-scale abductions and terror campaigns.
The Senate has directed its leadership to draft and present an amendment to the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, so that kidnapping will be legally reclassified as terrorism and automatically carry the death sentence upon conviction.
