Hon. Oladele seeks classification of kidnapping as act of terrorism

Hon. Kayode Oladele, the lawmaker representing Yewa North and Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, has called for kidnapping to be classified as an act of Terrorism.
Oladele said it was time to bring the dastardly offence under the Terrorism Act to serve as a strong deterrent to others contemplating such crimes.
Oladele, who spoke to the media in Abuja, also called for the immediate release of Senator Iyabo Anisulowo from captivity.
Anisulowo, a former Minister of State for Education, was kidnapped at gun point on Wednesday while returning from her farm in Ilaro area of Ogun State.
Oladele  while condemning the act, noted that Anisulowo, who recently turned 65, is “being held against her will and denied access to critical medications lack of which could undermine her health conditions”.
He therefore, called for her unconditional and immediate release.
He further called on the law enforcement and security agencies not to relent in their efforts to comb the nooks and crannies of the State and its environs to secure her safe release from the hands of her abductors.
Justifying his call on the Federal Government to classify kidnapping as an act of terrorism, Oladele noted that in light of the high rate of kidnappings across the country, it was time to clamp down hard on this crime by classifying it as an act of terrorism punishable under the Terrorism Act.
He added that in this era of the Federal Government trying to boost Nigeria’s economy and project the country as a haven for investment and tourism, the frequency of kidnapping is bound to discourage potential investors and tourists.
This, he said “will be detrimental to the nation’s economic recovery.
“If you check the websites of some foreign countries, they advice against travel to Nigeria because of our security challenges.
“Security of lives and property is the government’s first calling and we should make sure it remains our top priority.”