AbdulRauf Lagbaji, founder of the At-Tanzil Foundation, has called on governments at all levels to enforce the death penalty against convicted bandits and kidnappers.

He argued that the measure is consistent with Islamic teachings and necessary to curb insecurity.

Lagbaji made the call on Sunday while delivering a lecture at the Ashura Day celebration organised by the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) in Ondo State.

The Islamic scholar said Islam prescribes capital punishment for anyone found guilty of intentional murder, insisting that convicted criminals involved in banditry and kidnapping should not be reintegrated into society.

He urged the Federal Government to amend the Constitution to provide for the immediate execution of convicted kidnappers, arguing that allowing such offenders to return to society would endanger public safety.

Lagbaji also appealed to the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to ensure the execution of suspects convicted over the 2022 Owo church attack.

"It is time for our government to execute any bandit or kidnapper found guilty because the Qur'an makes it clear that whoever knowingly kills another person should also be put to death," he said.

"The government needs to enforce the death penalty on those involved in the Owo church attack that occurred four years ago."

The cleric further cited the Islamic concept of Diya (blood money), stating that compensation for a person unlawfully killed is equivalent to 100 camels, which he estimated at about N200 million.

According to him, Islamic teachings do not support showing leniency to those convicted of murder, adding that the government should not assume that bandits who claim to have repented would abandon criminal activities.

He also appealed to legal practitioners to refrain from representing persons accused of banditry and kidnapping, maintaining that stronger punitive measures are necessary to address the country's security challenges.