Nigerian oil state approves death penalty for kidnappers

YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's home state of Bayelsa signed a law on Wednesday approving the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, in a region were abductions by criminal gangs are common.

Kidnapping for ransom in the southern Niger Delta and offshore of the oil region is a multi-million dollar business. The vast majority of people taken are Nigerians, although foreigners are also regularly targeted.