The federal government is set to amend Nigeria’s drug laws to abolish the option of fines for convicted drug traffickers, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against illicit drug crimes.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed on Monday that the proposed legal reform would introduce mandatory prison sentences of between 15 and 25 years for convicted traffickers, eliminating the possibility of avoiding jail by paying monetary penalties.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, revealed the plan while speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme.
He said the amendment is being driven through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and is expected to be forwarded to the National Assembly as an executive bill.
According to Babafemi, the existing provision allowing courts to impose fines on convicted drug traffickers has created a significant loophole that undermines the agency’s enforcement efforts.
He explained that although the NDLEA enjoys strong judicial support and records a conviction rate of nearly 90 per cent, offenders who are given the option of fines often pay amounts ranging from ₦5 million to ₦20 million and return to the illicit drug trade.
“There is a small challenge, and that is the issue of the option of fine,” Babafemi said, expressing appreciation to the Federal Government for taking steps to address the issue.
He said once the amendment becomes law, convicted traffickers will no longer have the opportunity to pay fines in place of prison sentences.
“When the law is passed, there will be nothing like that. You will probably have a minimum of 15 to 25 years in prison so that anyone arrested knows they are going to jail and will lose everything,” he said.
Babafemi noted that the agency has continued to intensify its operations despite describing the global drug trade as a “hydra-headed monster”.
He said sustained enforcement actions by the NDLEA have significantly disrupted the supply of illicit drugs across the country, resulting in scarcity and a sharp increase in street prices.
According to him, some drug users have publicly acknowledged the impact of the agency’s operations, complaining that the price of cannabis has risen sharply because of repeated seizures by law enforcement.
The NDLEA spokesman also disclosed that the agency has uncovered billions of naira in the bank accounts of suspected drug traffickers during recent investigations.
He said the accounts have been frozen while legal processes are ongoing to secure the forfeiture of the funds to the federal government.
Babafemi further stated that Nigeria has become an increasingly difficult operating environment for drug traffickers, forcing many criminal networks to relocate to other countries.
Despite their relocation, he said the agency continues to track their activities through intelligence sharing and collaboration with law enforcement agencies in foreign jurisdictions.
He reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to pursuing suspected traffickers wherever they operate and ensuring they are brought to justice.
