Kwara State Government Monday said kidnapping for ransom in the country has become a veritable source through which state funds are siphoned.
“This is done under the pretext that the demands of the kidnappers must be met to save the lives of victims of the crime,” the state added.
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The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Salman Jawondo (SAN), said this at the commencement of the 2021/2022 New Legal Year in Ilorin.
The event was also attended by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
To this end, he said the time is now to reconsider/review the obsolete “presumption of innocence” of defendants with respect to some crimes threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria.
According to him: “The wake of insecurity in our country is more than challenging, as no one can now sleep with the two eyes closed.
“The phenomenon of kidnapping for ransom has transmuted into a lucrative venture sustained by hoodlums with the active connivance of unscrupulous persons.
“It has become a veritable source through which state funds are siphoned under the pretext that the demands of the kidnappers must be met to save the lives of the victims of the crime.
“The judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, needs to be more on its toes to save us from the menace now eating deep into our flesh.
“It’s baffling why the kidnapping cases are taking much time to determine.
“Honestly, the fact that people who engage in such heinous act in full view of the law, justify the call for the complete overhaul of our criminal justice system, particularly the aspect that deals with the apprehension of criminals, prompt investigation of cases and quick trial.
“Now is the time to reconsider/review the obsolete ‘presumption of innocence’ of defendants with respect to some crimes threatening the corporate existence of us as human beings and our right to live in peace,” he said.
While congratulating the newly appointed judges, Jawondo said that the position of a judge is highly revered, coveted and respected in the sight of God and man.
“Therefore, I urge your Lordships to be good judges and to remember that as you judge, you are being judged by the people and you will eventually be judged by God Almighty,” he added.
Also speaking, a legal icon in the country, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali, called on law enforcement agencies in the country to be more up and doing in fighting crime to save lives and property and exploit the deployment of drones to fight criminality in the country.
Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Suleiman Kawu, also used the occasion to call for enactment of the judiciary autonomy law in the state.
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