Can the National Assembly please pass the Combined Treasury and Warehouse Looting Bill 2020 that will compel the police to always prosecute looters in pairs?
Basically, it will mean that for every warehouse looter arraigned in court, a treasury looter must be arraigned alongside him or her. Failure to find an accompanying treasury looter will automatically lead to the charges against a warehouse looter being dropped.
Under this equal opportunity looting prosecution, once both charges have been readout, the court will then split into two. Court One will deal with treasury looters and Court Two with warehouse looters.
Both sets of defendants must have access to the same calibre of legal teams.
Both sets of defendants must have access to the same kind of bail conditions.
While in detention, both sets of looters should be made to share cells to familiarise themselves with each other.
They should have access to the same type of medical attention while in detention. If one is allowed to fly abroad for medical attention, so too should the other.
Sentencing should be based on the value of the assets stolen. Basically, someone who stole goods worth N10,000 must serve a sentence about 10 times less than someone who stole $1m.
All sentenced persons must be subject to the same restrictions, prohibiting them from running for public office.
All those who aided and abetted both sets of looters should be charged as accessories. This should include banks, security officials, faith houses, etc.
Ayo Akinfe, born in Salford, Manchester, is a London-based journalist who has worked as a magazine and newspaper editor for the last 20 years. Ayo attended Federal Government College Kaduna and obtained his first degree in history from the University of Ibadan.
