May 10, 2024 - In a landmark decision, the Nigerian Senate has approved the imposition of the death penalty for individuals convicted of importing, manufacturing, trafficking, or dealing in hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The decision came after a spirited debate on amendments to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2024.
The Senate’s resolution, adopted during a session in the red chamber, shifts the existing maximum punishment for such drug-related offenses from life imprisonment to capital punishment. Senate Whip Ali Ndume spearheaded the call for this stringent measure, asserting that the severity of the drug menace afflicting Nigerian youth necessitates the harshest possible legal consequences.
"The problem of drugs has seriously affected our youth. It should be toughened beyond life imprisonment. It should be the death sentence, either by hanging or any way,” Ndume argued on the Senate floor.
However, the proposal met with resistance from several senators, including former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who expressed serious concerns about legislating on matters of life and death without more thorough debate. His call for a divided vote was, however, dismissed by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session.
Despite the objections from Oshiomhole and Senator Sampson Ekong of Akwa Ibom State, both of whom were overruled, the Senate proceeded to pass the bill for a third reading.
The bill's report was produced collaboratively by the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters/Drugs and Narcotics. According to the Joint Committee Chairman, Mohammed Monguno, the approval of the death sentence reflects the Senate's determination to combat the drug crisis aggressively.
The spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, refrained from commenting on the ongoing legislative process but noted the gravity of the amendment.
The bill now awaits further deliberation in the House of Representatives, which currently proposes maintaining life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for major drug offenses. The forthcoming discussions are expected to reconcile these differing legislative approaches to form a unified stance on the issue.
This move by the Senate underscores a significant shift in Nigeria’s drug law enforcement strategy, positioning the country among those with the strictest penalties for drug trafficking offenses globally.
0 Comments