The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA, SPIDEL, has condemned the attempt to criminalize ransom payment by victims of kidnapping without tackling the root cause of the problem.
The Chairman, NBA, SPIDEL, Dr Monday Ubani, who raised the objection at a news briefing in Lagos to acquaint journalists of the association’s forthcoming annual conference scheduled to take place in Sokoto state, explained that victims of kidnapping pay ransoms out of desperation and abject helplessness knowing that the nation has failed to secure the release of their loved ones.
He appealed that the piece of legislation under contemplation should not be allowed to fly as it lacks logic noting that law ought to reflect reality in any society.
“The House of Representatives is advised to jettison the Bill and focus on laws that will strengthen national security and protect lives and property assuming there is a lacuna”.
Commenting on the number of presidential aspirants buying expression of interest forms from their various parties at exorbitant fees, Dr Ubani called in members of the public to be at alert to avoid the mistakes of the past.
“We must separate the wheat from the chaff, it will be a colossal disaster if after passing through the harrowing experiences of the past years due to wrong choices, citizens must not make the same mistake in 2023”.
Dr Ubani who urged members of the public to arise from slumber and insist in leadership with antecedents, called on the Federal Government obey the agreement between it and ASUU and let students go back to school.
“We cannot have a country where institutions are not working, no good medical facility and no functional educational sector”.
“Parents pay billions of dollars in taking Children abroad whereas, we have enough resources to make our institutions work”
He reminded the legislators that the constitutional amendment was still being monitored and awaited.
“He said citizen must demand the immediate passage of some of the amendments to the 1999 constitution which may correct some of the noticeable flaws in the Federal structure”.
