The law, which amended the Kidnapping Prohibition Act 2009, also prescribed the death penalty for those who aid and abet kidnappers, Governor Adams Oshiomhole told reporters after he signed the bill in the state capital of Benin on Friday.
"This law is signed in good faith; the government has the will to implement it in totality, no special task-force or tribunal will be constituted to try defaulters," Oshiomhole said.
Though there were enough laws providing punitive measures for various criminal offences, the challenge being faced by these laws was enforcement, he said.
He said the government was concerned about the spate of kidnapping in the state just as it was aware of the pain kidnappers had inflicted on their victims and families.
"This administration has taken necessary steps to effectively police all the security flash points in the state as we have discovered that the major criminals are migrants who visit the state and escape after committing crimes," he said.
Oshiomhole appealed to the state's youth to desist from crime as it was not an alternative to legitimate means of survival.
Abduction is common in Nigeria. More than 300 foreigners have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta region since 2006. Almost all have been released unharmed after paying a ransom.
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