Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo says he will sign the death warrants of four convicted kidnappers if they fail to appeal their sentences within 30 days. The ultimatum puts a firm clock on the legal options available to the condemned men. Under Nigerian law, a state governor's signature is required before an execution can be carried out. Okpebholo's warning signals that his administration is ready to enforce capital punishment for kidnapping, a crime that has battered communities across Nigeria for years. If the four let the deadline pass, or exhaust their appeals without success, the governor intends to act. Several Nigerian states have prescribed the death penalty for kidnapping in response to waves of abductions. No execution date has been announced while the 30-day window remains open.