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By Zika Bobby
In response to continued public reactions over his stance against the introduction of the death penalty for kidnapping, Uchenna Emelonye, has issued a further clarification stressing that his position is not in defense of kidnappers or criminality of any form, but a call for evidence-based and institution-focused solutions, instead of punitive measures that have repeatedly failed to address insecurity.
His opposition to the death penalty, he noted, arises from what works, what protects victims, and what strengthens Nigeria’s justice system.
Addressing assumptions that his position against death penalty is detached from reality in Nigeria and mere academic postulation, Emelonye,a professor , shared a deeply personal and painful experience.
“I know the pain of kidnapping first-hand. My elder brother was kidnapped after his police orderly was shot and disarmed. I personally went through the trauma of negotiating with the kidnappers and torturously delivered the ransom to their den. So, I have felt the fear, the anguish, and the helplessness that many Nigerian families experience.”
Emelonye warned that death penalty will not address Nigeria’s core security gaps, investigative, prosecutorial and judicial weaknesses. He emphasised that while Nigerians are understandably frustrated with the rising incidents of kidnapping, calls for death penalty, often justified by referencing China, some Asian countries or the United States are misplaced and inconsistent with Nigeria’s institutional realities. These contexts cannot be compared to Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The belief that China or the United States reduced crime through executions is inaccurate. The low crime rates from these countries stem from strong state capacity, sophisticated surveillance, and highly effective law enforcement. Not executions” he stated.
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Global evidence shows that where kidnapping attracts capital punishment, offenders become more likely to kill victims to eliminate traces of witnesses and evidence. The death penalty will not deter kidnappers; it may, in fact, increase the danger to victims. Criminological research across the world shows that criminals fear being caught far more than being punished.
While countries that prevent crimes via intelligence, surveillance, and policing keep citizens safe, countries that rely on harsh punishments without strong institutions continue to face high crime rates.
He added that prevention always outperforms punishment, because punishment only applies after a crime has been committed, whereas prevention stops crime before it happens and protects potential victims now.
“Understandably, death penalty offers emotional satisfaction to most Nigerians, but emotional satisfaction is not public safety. The real driver of deterrence is the preventive certainty of arrest, not the severity of punishment. Nigeria must invest in systems that stop kidnapping before it occurs, not in punishments applied after the harm is already done.”
He said both chambers of the National Assembly should be concerned and legislate to address culpable institutional weaknesses. “Despite the country’s mandatory SIM card registration policy, one can still easily obtain and operate a SIM card/phone line in Nigeria. It is also the case that kidnappers boldly make ransom calls with registered SIM cards without being traced during hostage and after release of their victims,” describing this as a serious systemic gap that is yearning to be addressed.
He further highlighted that Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic cannot be divorced from the massive proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country, noting that an estimated 6 to 7 million illicit firearms circulate within Nigeria thus competing with the weapons held by lawful security agencies.
