Oluwo seeks death penalty for kidnappers

The Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun State, Oba Abdul Rasheed Akanbi, Telu 1, on Tuesday, proposed a death penalty for kidnappers to stem crimes and other related offences in the country.

He made this known during an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the 20th anniversary of the British American Tobacco Nigeria, held at the Ibadan factory, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Civil society groups, under the aegis of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, said 17,469 Nigerians were abducted under the Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu administrations from 2019 to date.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said insecurity had persisted over the last three administrations, with 24,816 Nigerians killed and 15,597 persons abducted in the last administration of President Buhari, between 2019 and 2023.

Out of the total number of 17, 469 kidnapped from 2019 and to date, 90 per cent of the cases were recorded under Buhari, while 10 per cent have been recorded under Tinubu.

Oba Akanbi said, “It is not only in Nigeria that we are experiencing insecurity. There are many places in the world where they are experiencing insecurity, but what we see in the case of killing traditional rulers in Yorubaland now is sabotage. It is a planned sabotage. There is sabotage in the land, especially I think against this government. We have seen now that the people who believe in them are the ones doing it.

“Now we have seen locals, locals from Ekiti State being involved in kidnapping and killings, most especially killing of Yoruba Obas. This is abomination and sabotage which should be addressed. And I want to propose the death penalty for anybody that gets involved in Kidnapping. Death penalty should be made or pronounced for such people. Capital punishment should be meted out because our country needs what we call like laws to be implemented like Saudi Arabia and China to stop crime in this country.”

In his opening remarks, the Chairman, BAT Nigeria Advisory Board, Kola Karim, stated that the facility had not only served as a beacon of progress but has also played a pivotal role in driving economic growth and prosperity.

Karim, who is also Agbaoye of Ibadanland, therefore, called for the government's continued support and partnership for companies like BATN that are generating revenue, manufacturing for both local and exports, and creating employment, especially in the current economic climate.

He said, “This way, the government is able to deliver on its promises to the Nigerian people through continued collaboration.”

In his welcome address, the Managing Director, Yarub Al-Bahrani, said BATN had not only contributed to economic growth in Nigeria but has also drawn into additional foreign direct investment of over $30 million from the business partners, further spurring overall economic activity in the country and driving sustainable growth.

Al-Bahrani said, “In the past two decades, our factory and its related operations have been a catalyst for socio-economic development, creating employment opportunities for over 350,000 individuals across the value chain and generating over N415 billion in taxes in the last six years alone.

“With pride, we have witnessed Made-in-Nigeria products from our factory being exported to countries across West and Central Africa, showcasing the quality and ingenuity of Nigerian manufacturing on the global stage. This has not only boosted Nigeria's trade presence but has also earned us recognition as a top 10 national exporter by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council.”