The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Honourable Umar Yakubu Barde, has said some concerned members of the House “have started talking on how to enact laws that will ensure that looters are either hang or their hands amputated.”
Speaking in an interview in Kaduna, Barde, who represents Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, noted that he is a believer in the fact that people should be punished for offences committed and that such punishments must be commensurate with the offences.
The lawmaker, who dropped the bombshell that anyone who steals from the treasury in billions should be hanged, said: “We are living in a very funny country where people who steal N1,000 are put in jail for years, while some people steal billions and use the loot to escape justice. That is not good enough. If you ask me personally, I will tell you that we have started discussion; I’ll let the cat out of the bag.”
Barde, who urged Nigerians to take bold stand on the issue of corruption, said: “If you ask me, I will tell you that if someone steals from N1 million to N100 million, he or she should have his hand cut off. There is nothing wrong with that; so that when we see you on the street, we will know that you stole, which was why your hand was cut off and those who steal in billions should be hanged.”
“I and some members in the National Assembly are of the belief that Nigeria should have special court for corruption cases; specially-dedicated courts, because if you look at the quantum of corruption in the country today, you will pity Nigerians.
“So, why don’t we have dedicated courts to try all these corruption cases so that justice could be dispensed of quickly?,” he queried.
