In a decisive and sweeping legislative response to the nation’s overwhelming insecurity crisis, the Nigerian Senate has initiated a swift process to amend the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act to formally classify all forms of kidnapping as an act of terrorism and, crucially, to mandate the death penalty for all convicted offenders.
The bill, introduced last week, reflects the urgent political will in the National Assembly to deploy Nigeria’s most formidable legal tools against the persistent wave of banditry and mass abductions plaguing the country.
The Senate’s action aims to remove judicial discretion and provide security agencies with a more robust legal framework to combat the menace.
The core of the amendment is the explicit classification of the act of kidnapping for ransom and related offences as an act of terrorism under the law.
The amendment seeks to prescribe the maximum penalty, death, for every conviction of kidnapping, regardless of whether the victim is killed or survives the ordeal. This removes the current discretion where non-lethal cases may attract life imprisonment.
The bill was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, and was immediately presented for its first reading late last week (around November 27, 2025), signaling the Senate President’s directive to expedite the consideration and enactment due to the crisis’s urgency.
Currently, the Terrorism Act already criminalizes the payment of ransom (with a minimum sentence of 15 years) and imposes the death penalty for kidnapping resulting in death. This new amendment seeks to close the gap by applying the maximum penalty to all convicted kidnappers.
The legislative push was triggered by a vigorous debate on the escalating violence across the North-Central and North-West regions, including the recent abduction of worshippers and the persistent kidnapping of schoolchildren.
The motion, sponsored by Deputy Senate Leader Lola Ashiru, specifically highlighted the spiraling insecurity in states like Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger, where banditry and kidnapping rings have operated with relative impunity.
During the debate, the Senate also called for a transparent investigation into reports suggesting possible security lapses or internal collaboration that may have enabled some of the mass abductions.
While this move is driven by a genuine desire to deter kidnapping, it raises critical legal and human rights questions.
Supporters argue that a mandatory death penalty sends the strongest possible message, potentially creating a formidable deterrent that the current penalty structure has failed to achieve.
Critics warn that removing judicial discretion and mandating the death penalty for all kidnapping cases, regardless of extenuating circumstances or victim survival, could face legal challenges on the grounds of proportionality and constitutional human rights provisions.
Classifying the crime as terrorism will allow security agencies (Police, DSS, and Military) to utilize more aggressive counter-terrorism tactics and resources, potentially leading to faster and more decisive kinetic responses against the criminal gangs.
The bill is expected to spark intense debate during its second reading, where lawmakers will weigh the urgent need for security against the principles of justice and human rights.
