The Senate has approved death penalty for dealers and importers of cocaine, heroin and other hard drugs into the country.
The proposed capital punishment also applies to manufacturing, trafficking, dealing in or delivery of hard drugs by any means.
This was arrived at after deliberations on the floor of the red chamber on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024..
During the consideration of the report on the bill for passage, Senate Whip, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), recommended that the punishment of life imprisonment be “toughened” to death penalty.
The penalty for drug importation or dealership is captured in Section 11 of the extant law, which Ndume sought to be increased to a death sentence.
He pointed that this is the standard worldwide and such tough laws must be put in place to address the problem of drugs that has seriously affected the youth.
However, the proposal was opposed by some members of the house including former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, who noted that when a matter has to do with life and death, the house should be accountable.
The Senate, despite a few oppositions to the bill went ahead to pass the bill for a third reading.
The report on the bill was jointly produced by the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters/Drugs and Narcotics.
Speaking with Senate correspondents after the plenary, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Mohammed Monguno, said the Senate approved the death sentence, noting that the voices of Oshiomhole and others did not change the ruling of the presiding officer.