By Sanni Onogu, Abuja and AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna
The Senate has passed a bill seeking to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 and to prohibit the payment of ransom to kidnappers.
Also yesterday, a former Military Administrator of old Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd), called on the international community and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assist in the negotiations for the rescue/release of the captives.
The passage of the bill followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The report was laid by the Committee Chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele for consideration.
Bamidele said the bill seeks to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers and terrorists for the release of any person confined, imprisoned or kidnapped.
The lawmaker explained that the overall import of the bill was “to discourage the rising spate of kidnapping and abduction for ransom .”
He disclosed that in the memoranda presented to the committee, a plethora of issues relating to terrorism and terrorism financing were raised.
He assured that the amendment to the Terrorism Act would set standards and regulatory system intended to prevent terrorist groups from laundering money through the banking system and other financial networks.
The Senator added: “Having policies in place to combat the financing of terrorism will surely reduce or eliminate privacy and anonymity in financial and other sundry transactions as it relates to the subject in our society.”
Bamidele explained further that the need to comprehensively review the Terrorism Prevention Act arose from the unfavourable ratings of Financial Act Task Force (FATF) recommendations of Nigeria’s Mutual Evaluation Report and consequent placement of Nigeria in FATF’S International Cooperation and Review Group Process with its impending sanctions on Nigeria’s economy.
He stressed that the proposed repeal and enactment bill was geared towards improving the effectiveness of countermeasures against terrorism, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan said the bill would complement Federal Government’s efforts in stemming insecurity when signed into law by the President.
”It is our belief here in the Senate, that this bill, by the time signed by Mr President, will enhance the efforts of this government in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other associated and related vices.
“This is one piece of legislation that can turn around not only the security situation in Nigeria but even the economic fortunes of our country.
“We have done so much as a government, in terms of infrastructural development across all parts of this country, but because the security situation is not the kind of situation that we all want, this tends to overshadow all the tremendous and massive developments in our country.”
The bill was passed by the chamber after it scaled the third reading.
The Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary session till May 10, 2022, to enable members to observe the Sallah break and Workers’ Day.
In Kaduna, Umar advised the Federal Government to do more to secure the immediate release of 62 passengers abducted on March 28 by terrorists who bombed a Kaduna-bound train.
The terrorists had on Monday night released four photographs showing the abductees that included women and children.
The former military administrator said in a statement the appearance of the victims in the photographs was disturbing.
His words: “Pictures of the hostages abducted in the 28 March Abuja- Kaduna train attack are trending in the social media.
“The pictures, to say the least, are most disturbing, particularly as they show exhausted and frightened women and children under the most harrowing conditions.
“I appeal to the Federal Government to do more to secure the immediate release of these innocent victims.
“I also appeal to the international community, particularly ICRC, to assist in the negotiations which will be needed to effect that release.
“May God touch the hearts of the kidnappers to show mercy on these innocent