On Thursday, the Nigerian Senate passed an amendment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, introducing life imprisonment for individuals found guilty of trafficking, storing, or concealing illicit drugs. The decision was reached during a plenary session, overseen by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin. The motion received broad support from the majority of the senators present.
The amendment, which targets drug traffickers and related crimes, was based on recommendations made by the conference committee of both chambers of the National Assembly. This committee had been convened after discrepancies arose between the amendments passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. While the House of Representatives had proposed life imprisonment for drug traffickers, the Senate initially sought a more severe penalty, recommending the death sentence.
To resolve this difference, both chambers formed a conference committee, which ultimately harmonized the versions of the bill. During the plenary session, Senator Tahir Monguno, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, addressed the senators. Monguno, who also chaired the conference committee, proposed adopting the House of Representatives’ version, which stipulates life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
Monguno explained the potential consequences of the Senate’s original position. He cautioned that adopting the death penalty would lead to the execution of over 900 individuals currently incarcerated on drug-related charges. He stressed the need for a balanced approach to tackling drug trafficking while mitigating the human cost of harsh penalties. “We must support this resolution to reduce the devastating impact of drug consumption and trafficking on our country,” Monguno urged.
Following Monguno’s presentation, Deputy Senate President Jibrin called for a vote on the resolution. The majority of senators voted in favor of the life imprisonment provision through a voice vote, bringing the amendment one step closer to becoming law.
Under the newly amended NDLEA Act, Section 11 now reads, “Anybody who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved, is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in any way, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The amended bill will now be sent to President Bola Tinubu for his assent into law. While the president’s approval is required for the bill to become official, there is no indication that he will reject the amendment, as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) controls both chambers of the National Assembly.
