The Bauchi State Government has declared that anyone arrested for kidnapping in Bauchi State will be sentenced to life imprisonment.

This announcement was contained in the newly amended law of the state, enacted by the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

Signed in March 2017 by the Governor, Muhammed Abubakar, the new law provides stiffer penalties for anyone convicted of kidnapping in the court of law.

According to the governor, the crime surge necessitated the new law.

Statistics from the state government showed that from 2016 till date, over 100 suspected kidnappers have been arrested in Bauchi state alone.

The Bauchi State Commissioner Of Justice, Ibrahim Umar, who explained further on the amended Penal Code, said: “The penalty generally speaking, is that anybody who abducts or kidnaps another individual and is found guilty, will be sentenced to life imprisonment; but if as a result of the kidnapping a life is lost, then death penalty will follow.”

Meanwhile, experts have advised the government to also address the problems that force these criminals into the act in the first place.