PROPOSED BARBARIC PUNISHMENT FOR RICE SMUGGLERS

The House of Representatives has before it a law seeking to prohibit importation of rice and life imprisonment as punishment for anyone guilty of the law. The Bill is titled, “An Act to Provide for the Prohibition of Importation into Nigeria of Rice and the Penalty for the Contravention of the Said Prohibition and other Related Matters”.

The Bill sponsored by Rep. Saidu Musa Abdulahi stated that “Any person who brings, causes to be brought, induced any other person to bring or attempts to bring Rice into Nigeria, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment, as stipulated in section 2 of the Export (Prohibition) Act”.

The house has always find a means to come up with ridiculous punishment for menial offences. In their sophisticated ways, they find some crooked bills to support their corrupt practices in favour of the law, but capital punishments on issues of social media bill, now it's life imprisonment for the importation of rice. In time past, the house have already passed a bill that gives immunity to law makers, proposes a maximum of two/three years for convicted public officers.