By OLANREWAJU LAWAL, Birnin Kebbi

Kebbi State governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has signed into law a bill for life imprisonment for rapists and death sentences for kidnappers in the state.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Hajiya Rahmatu Gulma, confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.

According to the statement, “therefore, with the assent into law of the model penal code 202, punishment of Kidnapping in the state, under section 247 of the law, is death. Also, punishment for rape, under section 259 sub- section (1), is life imprisonment,”.

Gulma also stated that the two laws were among five laws assented to by the governor.

She said that, “the governor assented to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2021; the Model Penal Code Law 2021; and a law to repeal and to re- enact law number 3 of 2002 the establishment of Kebbi State College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kebbi, 2021.

She explained that with the signing into law of the administration of Criminal Justice, “there would be less custodial sentencing as the courts would have the flexibility of non- custodial sentencing for minor offences .”

The commissioner stressed that prisons would be less congested and it would also facilitate accelerated and speedy trials of criminal offences.

“Other laws are: a law to repeal and to re-enact law No. 10 of 2004, the establishment of Kebbi State College of Health Technology, Jega, 2021; and a law to repeal and re-enact Law No. 5 of 1993, for the establishment of Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, 2021.

She added that the Governor had in December 2020, also assented to a law on administration and collection of revenue, due to the state and local government councils. (Daily Sun)

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