NDLEA proposes life jail-term for drug offenders

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), has opened up…

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), has opened up on the plan to propose maximum penalty of life jail for drug offenders in the country without an option of fine.

He spoke Thursday at the ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the State House, Abuja.

He said penalties in the subsisting NDLEA Acts were not deterrent enough.

Marwa, who said the agency was also considering the possibility of going after the assets of convicts of drug traffickers, added that a situation where they were convicted only to meet their assets intact after completing their terms was not deterrent enough.

He said the agency would pursue asset forfeiture against arrested, jailed or indicted drug barons using a combination of laws, including the NDLEA Act, Money Laundering Act, and Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty (MLAT).

He warned that any politician found encouraging the use of drugs would not be spared.

The NDLEA boss restated that drug tests must be conducted on anyone wishing to join any of the security agencies and prospective grooms to stem the rise of drug abuse in the country.