Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi
Ambode hosted a very successful Stakeholders Summit on Administration of
Justice from January 30-31, 2017. There was broad consensus among
participants, that our criminal justice system is not working in the
interest of Nigerians. Indeed, the overwhelming tone was the sobering
conclusion that such is the unpredictable and uncertain state of our
criminal justice system, that we cannot rely on it to produce results
that are fair and just. This was why not a few of us were alarmed when
Governor Ambode signed the Lagos State Anti Kidnapping Law with a death
penalty provision, taking the easy way out of a problem that requires a
robust intervention.
Death Penalty: Not a Deterrent
I do understand the need for Lagos State
Government to achieve its vision of a peaceful, secure and safe
environment, especially for business.
However, it seems to me that the
solution does not lie in the ‘populist option’ of legalising death
penalty even for the grave crime of Kidnapping. The death penalty has
not deterred persons from committing armed robbery, why will it
therefore deter kidnappers? Kidnapping in Lagos State and indeed across
other States of the Federation, is fast becoming the norm largely
because the benefits outweigh the costs. An important cost of crime is
apprehension and punishment. Would be Kidnapers will refrain from
committing the crime if they are certain that they will be caught,
efficiently prosecuted and soon after the offence has been committed.
The sentence of death is the end result of a successful process of
arrest and prosecution. It must be obvious to Governor Ambode that the
institutions of criminal justice in the state are struggling to achieve
their mandate, thereby making the benefits outweigh the cost of crime.
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi
Ambode hosted a very successful Stakeholders Summit on Administration of
Justice from January 30-31, 2017. There was broad consensus among
participants, that our criminal justice system is not working in the
interest of Nigerians. Indeed, the overwhelming tone was the sobering
conclusion that such is the unpredictable and uncertain state of our
criminal justice system, that we cannot rely on it to produce results
that are fair and just. This was why not a few of us were alarmed when
Governor Ambode signed the Lagos State Anti Kidnapping Law with a death
penalty provision, taking the easy way out of a problem that requires a
robust intervention.
Death Penalty: Not a Deterrent
I do understand the need for Lagos State
Government to achieve its vision of a peaceful, secure and safe
environment, especially for business. However, it seems to me that the
solution does not lie in the ‘populist option’ of legalising death
penalty even for the grave crime of Kidnapping. The death penalty has
not deterred persons from committing armed robbery, why will it
therefore deter kidnappers? Kidnapping in Lagos State and indeed across
other States of the Federation, is fast becoming the norm largely
because the benefits outweigh the costs.
An important cost of crime is
apprehension and punishment. Would be Kidnapers will refrain from
committing the crime if they are certain that they will be caught,
efficiently prosecuted and soon after the offence has been committed.
The sentence of death is the end result of a successful process of
arrest and prosecution. It must be obvious to Governor Ambode that the
institutions of criminal justice in the state are struggling to achieve
their mandate, thereby making the benefits outweigh the cost of crime.
No comments:
Post a Comment