Senate demands life sentences for those who build illegal explosives
On Wednesday, the Senate approved a bill calling for the country’s illegal explosive producers to be sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of a fine.
The Explosives Act 2023, which would replace the Explosives Act of 1964, is proposed to be repealed in Section 11 of the bill, which the Senate approved on Wednesday for third reading. This provision proposes life in prison without the possibility of a fine for anyone found guilty of manufacturing explosives in violation of the law.
The passage came after the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Mines, Steel Development, and Metallurgy, led by Tanko Al-Makura, considered and approved a report.
The Bill states that “Any person who unlawfully manufactures any explosives, commits an offence and is liable to conviction to life imprisonment without an option of fine.”
The Bill states that “Any person who unlawfully manufactures any explosives, commits an offence and is liable to conviction to life imprisonment without an option of fine.”
In presenting the report on behalf of the committee chairman, Adelere Oriolowo (APC, Osun) stated that the issue with the use, transport, manufacture, sale, and possession of explosives is significant.
According to the congressman, criminals are using explosives in increasingly creative ways.
He said suicide bombers have used explosives to kill dozens of Nigerians.
He believed that in order to minimize the criminality connected with explosives, violators ought to be put in their place.
He said, “The Explosives Act of 1964 was prepared to meet the situation at that time. The penalties and fines in the act were too mild compared to the gravity of the offences being committed by explosive users nowadays.
“In line with this, the passing of the Bill to checkmate the abuse and menace posed by its use by criminal groups, insurgents and non-state actors is justified.
“The manufacture, storage and use of explosives are not to be an all-comers affair and should be closely regulated. The penalties provided in the bill will serve as deterrence to offenders.”
Before receiving the President’s assent, it is anticipated that the Bill would be referred to the House of Representatives for approval.
The Senate also started the process of establishing a tribunal to ensure strict adherence to the audit report as approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.
When the Bill proposed by the Senate’s Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, Mathew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), was taken into consideration and approved for second reading, the necessity for an Audit Report Tribunal was brought to light.
Urhoghide said the proposed legislation was crucial for the effectiveness of the fight against corruption in his opening remarks for the lead debate on the Bill seeking an Act to ensure strict implementation of the National Assembly recommendations on annual federal audit reports and for related topics.
He contends that stringent implementation or enforcement of audit report findings and recommendations is necessary for the fight against corruption to be successful.
“It’s not enough for the National Assembly as provided for in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution to expose corruption through required investigation, but go further to ensure strict implementation of resolutions made,” he said.
In a similar vein, the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, stated in his remarks that it is imperative to address the issue of the National Assembly’s resolutions on yearly audit reports not being strictly implemented.
“The proposed legislation is very necessary. Something in the mode of a Tribunal is needed for strict implementation of recommendations in the form of prosecution of offenders.
“Public Hearing on this Bill must be thoroughly conducted on how the Tribunal would be put in place as a potent way of fighting corruption,” he added.
