Irked by the indiscriminate used of hard drugs in Nigeria, the Senate on Thursday amended the clause 11 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act to a death sentence on conviction.
While considering the report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Right and Legal Matter and Drugs & Narcotics on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Senate uttered the punishment on conviction which was life imprisonment.
This resolution was sequel to the presentation of the report by the committee’s chairman, Senator Monguno Mohammed Tahir, where 46 sections/clauses of the NDLEA amendment bill were read on the floor of the red chambers
Recall, the clause 11 of the NDLEA Act states that, “Any offence for a person who has no lawful authority to do so, engages in the importation, production, manufacturing, processing, growing and planting of cocaine, heroin, LSD or any other drugs of similar nature. The offence is punishable on conviction with a sentence of life imprisonment”.
However, the Senate had resolved into the Committee of Whole for a clause by clause consideration of the amendment bill.
On clause 11, Senator Ali Ndume argued that if the importation, production, manufacturing, processing, growing and planting of cocaine, heroin, LSD or any other drugs of similar nature must be reduced to the barest minimum, a stiffer punishment must be placed on the offenders.
Senator Ndume recommended that such offence should be punishable by death. The amendment was thrown into voice vote with the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, presiding and the “Aye”. had it.
The report of the Committee and amendment made during the plenary were adopted accordingly. The bill was read the third time and approved.
