A bill prescribing death by hanging for kidnappers, cattle rustlers and their informants has been signed into law in Niger State.

The new law, an amendment of the state’s Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling Special Provisions Law of 2016, is aimed at curbing bandit attacks that have left many dead in the state within the first half of this year.

While signing the bill at the Government House in Minna on Friday, Governor Sanni Bello said the law had become necessary in light of the security challenges that threatened peaceful coexistence in the state.  

“Whoever instigates any person to kidnap a person or rustle cattle, or intentionally aides, abets or facilitate by any acts of omission or commission of the offence of kidnapping and or cattle rustling is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to death by hanging in public,” he said.

Bello noted that the activities of informants had limited the success of security agents in effectively tackling kidnappers and cattle rustlers.

The law was signed alongside other new laws, including the Niger State Vigilante Corps (Amendment) Law, 2021; the Niger State House of Assembly Service Commission Law, 2020; the Office of the Auditor General of the Local Government Law, 2021; and the Office of the Auditor-General of the State Law, 2021.