On May 9, the Senate passed a bill, which prescribed death sentence for manufacturers of hard drugs in the country. The bill, titled “National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment Bill) 2024,” seeks to review penalties provision, update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, and empower the NDLEA to establish laboratories. The bill was passed after the Senate considered the report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, 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 include death penalty as punishment for anybody found guilty of the offences. The House of Representatives is said to have stated that it will concur with the Senate on the bill.
The lawmakers’ action may have been informed by the epidemic of drug trafficking and usage in the country. Available statistics show that the NDLEA arrested a total of 50,901 drug offenders, including the apprehension of 46 drug barons in the last three years. According to the Chairman of the agency, Brig-Gen. Muhammed Marwa (retd.), the NDLEA had successfully prosecuted and secured conviction for 9,034 of the offenders as well as seized over 7,561 tons of illicit substances.
The use of hard drugs is on the increase in the country. It probably cut across all ages. According to the 2018 UNODC report, “Drug use in Nigeria” –the first large-scale, nationwide national drug use survey in Nigeria, one in seven persons (aged 15-64 years) had used a drug in the past year. The drug epidemic should be given serious attention. The youths, young girls and women must be saved from unbridled drug use.
The dangers of drug abuse are many. Unfortunately, most of the patrons are ignorant of the effects of hard drugs. Some might have died as a result of drug abuse. There is a link between drug abuse and violent crimes such as banditry and terrorism. Some traffickers have been caught and killed abroad, thus sullying the image of the country. Drug trafficking is a major factor in illicit financial flow in and out of the country. Therefore, the Senate’s action must have been a last resort in tackling the menace.
Despite the good intentions of the Senate on the matter, we consider death sentence too harsh for manufacturers of hard drugs. Moreover, death sentence has not deterred others from committing crimes, including manufacturing and trafficking in illicit drugs. The worst aspect of death sentence is that it is not corrective. The offender does not learn from his mistake. That is why most countries in the world are against death sentence because it does not stop crimes.
In view of the glaring shortcomings of capital punishment and growing global resentment against it, we suggest that the death sentence in the bill be changed to life imprisonment. Life sentence remains the best way to deal with the menace. It is worth pointing out that the public execution of three Nigerian youths, Batholomew Owoh, Bernard Ogedengbe and Lawal Ojuolape, in 1985 for drug-related offences by the then military regime did not stop other Nigerians from engaging in the illicit drug trade.
Instead of death sentence, we urge that other harsh measures that will deter drug trafficking can be employed to deal with the menace. At the same time, the youths should be enlightened on the dangers of drug trafficking. We urge the NDLEA and other relevant agencies to take the campaign against drug trafficking to secondary schools and tertiary institutions. The agency should even begin the enlightenment campaign with those in primary schools and rural communities where such habits are apparently incubated.
Let the manufacturers and distributors of hard drugs desist from the ignoble act. The hard drugs barons must be apprehended and duly prosecuted. We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the NDLEA is adequately funded for the daunting tasks ahead. To curb the menace, let all tiers of government create more jobs for the youths.