Some prominent lawyers in Lagos and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Friday frowned at a call to grant amnesty to kidnappers.
In interviews the lawyers said that the call would encourage young Nigerians to take to crime.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, who regained freedom from his abductors on Thursday, said that the Federal Government should grant amnesty to kidnappers. Ozekhome said that initiating amnesty programmes for kidnappers would reduce crimes in the country.
However, the NBA Chairman, Lagos branch, Mr Taiwo Taiwo, said that amnesty to kidnappers would increase crimes. Taiwo said: “I am totally against it. This will only take criminality to a higher level and make people to believe that crime pays. “You cannot place kidnappers on the same scale with Niger Delta militants who were clamouring for judicious use of their resources.”
A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said that kidnappers had no moral justification to terrorise and inflict pains on innocent Nigerians. “They are modern day robbers and lazy people who are looking for any excuse to inflict pains and sufferings on innocent people so that they can get money cheaply. “These people are criminals and don’t deserve amnesty,” Sagay said.
Mr Mussodiq Sanni, the Chairman, Lagos Chapter, Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria, said that amnesty was not ideal for kidnappers. He, however, urged the Federal Government to provide employment opportunities for positive engagement of the citizens, especially the youth. “The major problem in Nigeria is unemployment, and Federal Government should tackle it.”
Mr Wale Ogunade, also a lawyer, urged collective efforts in tackling unemployment to reduce crimes. (NAN).
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