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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says it is not comfortable with the option of fines being granted to drug traffickers and their agents in the country, insisting that stricter punishment is needed to curb the menace.
Chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, made this known in Abuja while addressing stakeholders at the unveiling of the National Minimum Standards on the Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws. He appealed to the Chief Judge and judges of the Federal High Court to always consider strict imprisonment for drug offenders who do not deserve leniency under the law.
Marwa explained that experience has shown that the option of fines in place of outright imprisonment has not discouraged drug traffickers, warning that the trend has continued to fuel the abuse of illicit substances across the country. He maintained that stronger custodial sentences would serve as a more effective deterrent.
The NDLEA boss also said Nigeria currently has over 10 million cannabis users, a situation he described as deeply worrying. He added that in the last five years, the agency has seized about 15 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances, with cannabis accounting for between 70 and 75 per cent of the total.
According to him, the agency has also engaged cannabis growers, especially in Ondo State, encouraging them to abandon the cultivation of Indian hemp and embrace legitimate food and cash crop farming. He said the intervention is already yielding positive results, with hundreds of farmers opting for lawful livelihoods.
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Oyetoke Adedayo Ebenezer
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