The Niger House of Assembly has taken a significant step to combat thuggery in the state with the presentation of a private member bill for a law to amend the existing law on thuggery.

The bill, presented by Mohammed Abubakar, a member representing the Chanchaga constituency, aimed to make the law more severe, with stiffer penalties for offenders.

“We will now make these sections of the law more severe so that some sections will carry capital offences,” he said.

He said the bill, when passed into law, would also provide protection for witnesses in court and would allay the fears of witnesses to testify in court.

Mr Abubakar noted that many cases were being discharged at the instance of people being afraid to come out as witnesses.

According to him, the bill proposes that thuggery cases be tried in state high courts rather than magistrate courts and that offenders could be tried anywhere in the state.

The lawmaker explained that if anyone commits a thuggery crime in Suleja, such a person will be moved from Suleja to Borgu and be tried there.

He added that the bill also proposes stiffer penalties, including higher fines.

“Where you give them less money, as low as N200,000 as a fine, that’s why these crimes are in persistence.

“We have changed the amount to N3 million so that if a parent wants to go and bail his thug son, he will have to sell his house before doing that,” he added.

He said the bill had received support from members of the House, especially those who accompanied him to submit it.

Mr Abubakar expressed confidence that the governor would assent to the bill, saying, “I believe he will be happy to assent to the bill without giving it a second thought.”

He disclosed that the bill had passed its first reading, noting that a public hearing would be held during its second reading to gather input from stakeholders.

Mr Abubakar noted that the second reading would give room for a public hearing where the Ministry of Justice, lawyers, critical stakeholders and members of the communities would be invited to make their opinions.

(NAN)