Senate Okays Death Penalty For Drug Traffickers

The Senate has authorised the death penalty as a punishment for drug dealers in the country as it advances to the third reading of the 2024 NDLEA Act (Amendment) Bill.

According to Channels TV, the proposal was adopted on Thursday when the Senate dissolved into a committee of the whole to consider a report by Senator Tahir Munguno, Chairman of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters, and Drugs & Narcotics, on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, clause by clause.

During a review of the punishment sections of the amendment bill to reinforce the agency’s activities, the Senate Chief Whip and Sen. Peter Nwebonyi offered an amendment to award drug offenders a death sentence rather than only a life term.

Under Clause 11. When the matter was placed to a voice vote, it appeared that the nays had won.

However, when the subject came up for a second vote, the Deputy Senate President decided in favour of the i’s.

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Some lawmakers were dissatisfied, causing a minor controversy. Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the revised clause’s quick consideration and passage.

Senator Oshiomhole’s objection to overturning the verdict was rejected by the Deputy Senate President, who argued that it came too late and violated the rules.

The upper house has begun reviewing the wages, allowances, and fringe perks of Nigerian judicial officeholders in an effort to combat bribery and corruption and guarantee the judiciary’s independence.

The executive measure, which seeks to regulate the wages of judicial office holders at both the federal and state levels, passed its second reading on Thursday and is intended to halt the long-standing stagnation in remuneration to reflect contemporary socioeconomic realities.

Despite that the measure was unanimously adopted, several lawmakers proposed that, in light of the current economic downturn, salaries/remuneration for Nigerians in other industries be examined equally.

The bill was then referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, which was given four weeks to report back.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli