First Lady Oluremi Tinubu seeks death penalty for kidnappers

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on State Governors and lawmakers, to prescribe capital punishment for kidnapping.

The First Lady spoke on Friday, during a meeting with the National Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the State House, Abuja.

Mrs Tinubu’s reaction followed a recent abduction of women, school pupils and teachers in Borno and Kaduna states respectively.

Over 100 female IDPs in Ngala, the headquaters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State, were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists, last Sunday, when the women went to fetch firewood. Similarly, suspected bandits, on Thursday, abducted over 100 pupils and teachers of LEA Primary School, Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Mrs Tinubu described kidnappers as “cowards” for majorly taking hold of women and children, saying they are inhumane and should be treated as such.

“They are cowards. Our hearts bleed. I call on the state governments, that once we take hold of them, they deserve capital punishments. Why can’t they take men of their size? Why are they touching women and children?

“What they are doing is that they are trying to kill our future, we all know that when parents are old, we rely on our children, we see them as our investments that have not gone to a waste, especially when they are successful.

“Why will you now take them from their schools? Right now, I think enough is enough. As a former lawmaker, I believe that any one of them captured deserves capital punishment.

“I believe most mothers will support me on this because we carry our children for nine months and we cannot watch what we love to wither away”, she said.

Mrs Tinubu told the women that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, placed a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for women to thrive economically, socially, and politically.

“As women, we constitute a significant portion of our society and it is vital that our voices are heard and our contributions acknowledged. As women leaders, your role is very crucial to our nation’s development. You are the eyes and ears of the government at the grassroot. I, therefore, encourage you to set a robust agenda for empowerment, inclusion and welfare of women within our party and across the Nation”, she added.

She also celebrated the International Women’s Day (IWD), with the women and saluted all other Nigerian women for their courage, resilience and doggedness.

“On my part, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), was established to focus on championing women’s causes and implementing various programs and initiatives nationwide with our motto, which states, “towards a better life for families.”

Earlier, the group, led by its National Women Leader, Dr Mary Idele Alile, her Deputy, Hajia Zainab Ibrahim and members of the Executive, thanked the First Lady, for her impacts on the lives of Nigerians through her various interventions on the platform of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).