Nigeria’s Lagos governor signs law authorizing death penalty

LAGOS, Nigeria – The governor of Nigeria’s most populous state has signed a law authorizing the death penalty for anyone convicted in a kidnapping where the victim dies.

Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Abode says the law he signed Wednesday will help halt a spate of kidnappings for ransom. Victims have included schoolchildren, officials and foreign workers.

Nigeria seven years ago signed a moratorium to stop executions. But that has been breached in Edo state, where three men convicted of armed robbery were hanged in December and four convicted criminals were hanged in 2013.

Nigeria has more than 1,000 prisoners on death row.

The Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping Law of Lagos state imposes a mandatory life sentence for kidnapping and a death sentence if a victim dies in the act.

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