Governor approves death penalty for banditry-related offences
Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano
The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has announced the death penalty of banditry-related offences in the state.
In a live broadcast on Tuesday, the governor said he had assented to the bill that prescribed a death penalty for bandits and related offences since 2022.
Matawalle stressed that the development is part of his administration’s efforts to find lasting solutions to banditry bedevilling the country.
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Matawalle who noted that he assented to the bill on prohibition and punishment for banditry, cattle rustling, cultism, kidnapping and other incidental offences 2022 on June 28, last year, maintained that the law provided a legal framework for prosecuting offenders of bandits-related crimes.
Based on the new law, anyone found guilty of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, cultism, or serving as a bandits informant is subject to the death penalty.
The governor also noted that anyone guilty of supporting the bandits in any manner will be subjected to life imprisonment, 20 years of imprisonment or 10 years jail term without any option of fine.
According to Matawalle, the development is part of his administration’s efforts to end the banditry problem that has plagued the states for over a decade.
