By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu
KANO, Nigeria (AA) - The northwestern Muslim-dominated Zamfara State in Nigeria signed a death penalty law for anyone found guilty of banditry, cattle rustling, cultism, or serving as an informant for bandits, according to an official on Tuesday.
The state government also restricted motorcycle movement from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and directed hotels to scrutinize guests and verify their identity before placing them in their facilities.
“On the 28th of June this year, I assented to the bill on Prohibition and Punishment for Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Incidental Offences, 2022,” Governor Bello Matawalle said in a special broadcast.
He said anyone found guilty of the crimes is subject to the death penalty and the measures were part of his administration’s unrelenting efforts to tackle the problem of banditry that has plagued the state and neighboring northwestern states for more than a decade.
Matawalle described the activities of the informants as a major challenge to address insecurity, expressing optimism that the situation would soon end.
Nigeria still has the death penalty and governors have the power to sign the order after a court judgment.
The Kano High Court recently convicted a school proprietor and accomplice to hanging for their roles in the kidnapping and death of a 5-year-old student in the state.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje pledged to sign the death penalty for the defendants convicted in the case.
“With regards to the issue of informants, which is the major impediment in the fight against banditry, I am glad to inform the peace-loving people of Zamfara State that we have succeeded in apprehending many of them,” he said. “Anyone found guilty of supporting in any manner the aforementioned offenses face a sentence of life in prison, 20 years in jail, or 10 years in prison, without the option of a fine.”
Yahuza Ahmed, a human rights activist and security expert with the Network for Peace in Nigeria said: “I am optimistic that the activities of banditry will soon reduce drastically. Peace is what everyone hopes and this law will be a substance to ensure the peace in the state.”
Zamfara is one of the frontline areas ravaged by banditry and kidnapping among the seven northwestern states in Nigeria.