The Senate, on Thursday, approved the 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.
The Senate arrived at the resolution on the floor of the red chamber after deliberations on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The maximum punishment in the extant law for offenders is life imprisonment.
During the consideration of the report on the bill for passage on Thursday, Senate Whip, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), recommended that the punishment of life imprisonment be “toughened” and upgraded to the 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 said, “This (life imprisonment) should be changed to a death sentence. This is the standard worldwide. We have to do this to address this problem of drugs that has seriously affected our youths.
Nevertheless, the Nigeria drug trafficking penalty remains steadfast in its commitment to combatting drug trafficking through harsh penalties. Additionally, proponents stress the necessity of a holistic strategy. This entails punitive actions and proactive measures against socio-economic factors driving drug trafficking.
Critics of the Nigeria drug trafficking penalty advocate for alternative strategies that focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and harm reduction. They argue that punitive measures alone are insufficient to tackle the complex challenges posed by the drug trade.
Moreover, opponents stress the significance of human rights. They express worries about potential miscarriages of justice under the proposed legislation. Moreover, they highlight the potential for human rights violations and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals.
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