Zamfara assembly prescribes death penalty for banditry, kidnapping

Abdullahi Shinkafi, special adviser on intergovernmental affairs to the governor of Zamfara, says the state’s assembly has passed a bill prescribing death penalty for all banditry-related offences.

“Today, the governor is going to sign into law death penalty for kidnappers, informants and any other banditry-related issues,” he said.

“The house of assembly, yesterday in Zamfara passed into law death penalty to kidnappers, informants and the contributors.”

Shinkafi said the ‘shoot on sight’ order by Bello Matawalle, the governor, is limited to a section of the state.

“The issue of shoot on sight is only limited to Mada town in Gusau LG, where there’s a rampage of banditry attacks on the innocent citizens of Zamfara state,” he said.

This development comes on the heels of the governor’s directive that residents should arm themselves against bandits.

The governor also directed the police command to issue gun licences to all who qualify and are willing to obtain firearms to defend themselves.

The Harmattan News had reported that the state had the second-highest number of deaths from non-state actors in the first quarter of 2022, with 327 cases.