Nigeria’s Senate proposes death penalty for kidnappers, enablers, and financiers under terrorism law amendments to curb rising insecurity.

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday moved to toughen the country’s anti-kidnapping laws, proposing the death penalty for kidnappers and anyone who finances, enables, or provides information to them.

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The amendment, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, reclassifies kidnapping, hostage-taking, and related crimes as terrorism.

The plenary session, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, featured contributions from key senators including Adams Oshiomhole, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Minority Leader Abba Moro.

After extensive debate, lawmakers unanimously approved the bill for further legislative scrutiny, referring it to the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, National Security and Intelligence, and Interior, with a report due within two weeks.

Bamidele argued the measure was necessary to confront kidnapping as a “coordinated, commercialised and militarised” threat.

He said the crimes had instilled fear in communities, disrupted economic and agricultural activity, bankrupted families, overstretched security forces, and claimed countless lives.

“The patterns of brutality now carry all the characteristics of terrorism,” Bamidele said, noting that security agencies would be empowered with broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools.

He added that the death penalty would apply not only to kidnappers but also to informants, logistics providers, harbourers, transporters, and anyone knowingly facilitating abductions.

Backing the amendment, Oshiomhole criticised deradicalisation programmes, insisting that convicted terrorists should face the death penalty.

Kalu emphasised that enablers and sponsors of kidnappers must also “face the consequence.” Minority Leader Moro described the bill as a “unanimous decision of the Senate,” aiming to ensure accountability.

Senator Victor Umeh highlighted the need to scrutinise financial institutions that indirectly support kidnappers.

The bill follows growing insecurity, including a November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Kwara State, where gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted 38 others, later rescued.

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The proposed amendments form part of a broader legislative response to rising abductions in schools, rural communities, and Federal Unity Colleges nationwide, signalling a more stringent stance on kidnapping across Nigeria.