Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sin
atu Ojikutu, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against jailing looters in his second term.
Ojikutu said rather than jail looters, Buhari should ensure that they are killed through firing squad or hanging.
Speaking with Vanguard yesterday, the former deputy governor insisted that stiff measures would serve as a deterrent to others.
According to Ojikutu: “If you jail someone for corruption in Nigeria, the next administration will release that person, and this is what has been happening in Nigeria. But I believe that if people found to be corrupt after thorough investigations are made to face the firing squad or are hanged, this will serve as a deterrent.
“We need to start making examples. But like I said earlier, thorough investigations must be carried out and the trial must also be fair. It should not be a case of vendetta or persecution.
“Due process must be followed. If after all these have conditions been met and a person is still found guilty of corruption, then let him or her face the music. There is nothing wrong with death sentence for corrupt elements because through their own acts of corruption, they are also killing people.
“If you are stealing money that is meant to buy drugs and put vital equipments in place in hospital, through your selfish and unpatriotic action, you are killing people or you are diverting money meant for road construction into your personal account, you are also killing people because the bad roads you fail to fix will cause accidents which will result in the death of people.
“It is high time we let Nigerians realize that corruption is evil, and that it doesn’t pay. We have to start from somewhere. I’m not one of those who are against death penalty for corruption, but there must be thorough investigations and trial.
“It must be established that the man that is being sentenced to death for corruption has, through his action of being corrupt, caused the death of people.
“It should not be a case of somebody being sentenced to death, later investigations revealed that he was wrongfully convicted and, meanwhile, the man has been executed, it should not be like that.
“There must be thorough investigations devoid of vendetta or persecution. If you cause the death of others through corrupt practices, then you also deserve to die.
“It should be an eye for eye, tooth for tooth like in mosaic laws. If we can do this, sanity will be restored fast. Corruption is thriving because some corrupt elements believe that they will always get away with a slap on the wrist; when you introduce death sentence, everybody will fall into line. Nigerians don’t want to die, they love life.
“The moment you introduce death sentence for corruption, everybody will sit up. But then, you will still want people who want to dare it, but when they dare it, they should go for it. We need death sentence to serve as a deterrent in the fight against corruption.”
