Nollywood actor Williams Uchemba has stirred strong reactions after demanding the execution of kidnappers amid the growing wave of insecurity in Nigeria.
In a video shared on his social media page, the actor criticized what he described as the government’s weak enforcement of laws and called for tougher measures to curb the rising cases of abductions across the country.
Using an analogy, he compared the government’s leniency toward criminals to a mother failing to discipline a child who steals meat from the pot, warning that such neglect only breeds hardened criminals.
“When a child begins to steal meat from the mother’s pot and the mother does very little in terms of punishment, she’s breeding a hardened criminal who could one day destroy her life or become a national disgrace,” he said.
Uchemba stressed that Nigeria’s constitution already prescribes the death penalty for kidnapping, yet offenders are rarely punished accordingly.
“The capital punishment for kidnapping is death. Some of these kidnappers are caught, but we don’t hear anything about imprisonment or execution. There should be a dedicated channel, like BBNaija, that broadcasts their arrest and public execution because until we start enforcing consequences, we won’t see results,” he stated.
The actor further compared Nigeria to China, saying the Asian nation’s zero-tolerance approach to kidnapping and corruption has helped maintain order.
“We want to be like China, but we don’t have the courage China has. The punishment for kidnapping and corruption there is death,” he said.
Uchemba’s comments have sparked mixed reactions online. While some Nigerians support his call for tougher penalties, others have cautioned that capital punishment and public executions could lead to human rights abuses and wrongful convictions.
His remarks add to the ongoing national debate on how best to address Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and ensure justice for victims of kidnapping.
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