Hard Drugs: Senate Okays Bill Prescribing Death Sentence on Producers, Traders

• Consumers risk 15-year jail term

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate has passed a bill which prescribed death penalty on any person found guilty of trading or producing hard drugs and narcotics.

The bill, which was titled, ‘National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment Bill) 2024,’ was sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume.

The proposed legislation was processed by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

The report of the panel was presented at plenary by its Chairman, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North).

The bill amended Section 11 of the NDLEA Act prescribing that any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

The section was amended to “death penalty” as punishment for anybody found guilty of the offences. 

The bill also sought to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and empower the NDLEA to establish laboratories. 

The report presented by the Chairman of the Committee did not recommend a death penalty, it was proposed by Ndume (APC, Borno South) during a debate on the proposed legislation.

Majority of the senators voted in support of the bill, when the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session put it to vote for third reading.

There was a mild drama when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) opposed the death penalty for trading or consuming hard drugs. 

Oshiomhole said the death penalty should not be hurriedly considered, but the Deputy Senate President ruled him out of order.

Speaking to journalists after Bill was passed, Munguno said the death sentence was for people who engage in the manufacturing, processing and trading of hard drugs. 

He said: “For the people that engage in the consumption of these hard drugs the sentence prescribed is 15 years.

“I think the Senate in its wisdom decided to prescribe death sentence in view of the havoc being created by substance and drug abuse in this country.

“The situation if not nipped in the bud have the potential of destroying the future of this country. This is because it is the majority of the youth that are engaged in the drug and substance abuse.

“Sometimes, innocently as a result of peer group influence. The sentence is 15 years without the option of fine for the consumers.