Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has said he would sign the death penalty for kidnappers even if his close family members are found guilty of the offence.
Speaking in Benin, Okpebholo said the government under his stewardship will not spare anyone found guilty of kidnapping in the state.
“I pray our brothers are not involved because I would sign you too. In any case, my father, I would sign you,” the governor said.
“The truth is this: we just have to get some bad elements out of the system, for the system to stand.
“And because somebody would die… but these people are killing people, and many people are being killed.”
He recounted the experience of Edo state’s chief judge, whose hand he said was severed by kidnappers.
“Even our chief judge, if you see our chief judge, one of his hands was cut off by kidnappers. But a few days ago I asked my attorney-general what happened,” he said.
“I’ve been waiting for the paper. He said they appealed. But we’ll still follow them up on the appeal.
“We won’t just leave them to go like that. So we’ll get to wherever they stop. We’ll take them from there.
“We will not spare anybody. If I see this paper today, now, I will sign it, and I will even survive the killing.”
