Top cop: Cutting off arms better than imposing death penalty

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

A SENIOR police officer says cutting off the arms of a serious crime offender is better than imposing the death penalty on him.

Jiwaka provincial police commander Supt Simon Nigi told The National yesterday that he opposed the death penalty because it was against Christian principles.

“God gives life and only He will take away, no other person has this right to take other person’s life,” he said.

“As a concerned citizen of this country, I want to ask the government to drop the death penalty and instead look at other options such as cutting off both arms of any offender.”

He said offenders used their arms to commit crimes and if these are cut off, they would be helpless.

“For example, if I loaded a gun and leave it in front of a criminal and go away, he can’t do anything.

“The gun will still be there when I return. 

“Even if a naked girl stands in front of a man with no arms, he will find it hard to rape her,” he said.

Nigi said if both arms were cut off, the person would become useless and would be spoon-fed by relatives and family members until death.

He said the government’s proposal for the death penalty on serious crime offenders was good but against Christian principles.

He said the death penalty would be debated in parliament and urged the government to look at his suggestion.

Nigi said others would think twice about committing serious crimes if they knew what the punishment would be.

He said it would also give time to offenders to repent and turn their lives to God.