Kidnappers To Forfeit Assets, Vehicles In Ogun

The Ogun State government has been empowered to confiscate all the assets, including vehicles, property and monies of convicted kidnappers in the state. This followed the recent passage of a bill into law by the state House of Assembly, which legally enables the government to combat the menace of land grabbing, armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism. The law, which is already awaiting the assent of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, is cited as the “Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and Other Anti- Violence and Related Offences Law, 2016.”

The bill for the law was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, and co-sponsored by 13 other state legislators. A copy of the proposed law obtained by Sunday Telegraph indicated that any person who arranges for self kidnapping shall be liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment for life without an option of fine.

The law also stipulates imprisonment of not less than 21 years with hard labour for any person that attempts to kidnap or abduct. It further stipulates life imprisonment without an option of fine for any person who willingly allows his premises to be used to harbour a kidnapped person.

Moreover, the law provides that any person that engages in false representation on the release of a kidnapped or abducted person shall be liable on conviction to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine. Sunday Telegraph observes that Part III of the law, especially from Sections 27 to 37, provides the offences and punishment relating to kidnapping in the state.

The law partly states: “All the assets movable or immovable, including motor vehicles, properties and monies of any person convicted of an offence under Sections 27, 28 (2), 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 of this law shall be forfeited to the Government of Ogun State.

“The Governor of Ogun State may constitute a panel of inquiry consisting of such number of persons (including an officer of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice) as he may think fit to conduct an investigation for the purposes of ascertaining the assets of any person convicted of an offence under this Law.” On kidnapping offence committed by corporate bodies, the law recommends N50million fine in addition to winding up of any corporate body.