National Assembly approves bill imposing life imprisonment for Nigerian dr¥g traffickers

In an effort to combat dr¥g-related crimes, the National Assembly has amended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, imposing life imprisonment for dr¥g offenders and traffickers.

Senate has concurred with the recommendation of the House of Representatives to commute the d3ath sentence penalty for persons found guilty of storing, moving or concealing hard dr¥gs and other illicit substances to life imprisonment.

The alignment of the Senate with the House of Representatives yesterday was a sequel to the amendment effected on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act. The amendment was considered at the plenary, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, APC Kano North, after majority of senators supported the harmonisation of the conference committee of the two chambers of the National Assembly on Section 11 of the NDLEA Act.

Recall that recently, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the NDLEA law to prescribe life imprisonment for dr¥g traffickers but the Senate version of the amendment prescribed d3ath penalty for the offenders.

In order to address the differences, both the Senate and the House of Representatives needed to hold a conference committee on the amendment where they will conclude on a final amendment to the section. The then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Monguno, had told his colleagues that the Senate would adopt the amendment of the House prescribing life imprisonment for dr¥g traffickers.

Monguno, who is the chairman of the conference committee, explained that if the National Assembly adopted the dath sentence, it meant over 900 accused persons behind bar on dr*g related cases would be executed.

He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the resolution in order to reduce the effect of dr*g consumption and trading in the country. After the presentation, the Deputy Senate President put the resolution to a vote and majority of the senators supported it.
Senator Barau, thereafter, approved the amendments to include life imprisonment for drug traffickers. With the amendment, the section now reads: “Anybody who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dngerous drgs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive wapon or is disguised in anyway, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”