Osogbo residents hail Senate for prescribing death penalty for drug traffickers

A cross section of reidents in Osogbo, Osun, have hailed the Senate’s passage of amendment to the NDLEA Act, which prescrines death penalty for dealing in hard drugs.

The respondents in separate interviews with our correspondent on Friday in Osogbo, said such punishment will deter reasonable people from getting involved in drug trafficking.

They, however, advised that investigation into such offences should be thorough and unbiased, in order that only persons culpable should face the punishment.

Mr Michael Olusesi, Executive Director, Mowalek Center for Sustainable Community Development, Osogbo, however, said that if the law is given assent the onus would be on security agencies to be more thorough in their investigation of drug related cases.

“Security agencies involved in handling such crimes must be properly trained and checked to ensure they do the needful to avoid implicating innocent citizens and at same time using it against perceived enemies,’’ he said.

Olusesi called for concerted efforts on other sisters security agencies to ensure that drug related crimes are reduced.

Also speaking, Mr Charles Adeyemi, an advocate for Justice and Human Rights, said the law raised very important question on enforcement and the application of such law.

“The passage of laws is undoubtedly a crucial first step; true progress can only be achieved through the effective and diligent enforcement of these laws.

“It is also imperative that the Nigerian government demonstrate a genuine commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served for all,” Adeyemi said.

He underscored the importance of prioritizing the implementation of laws in the country rather than merely passing them for the sake of legislative accomplishment.

According to him, the Nigerian senate deserves commendation for its recent bold decision to pass a bill recommending death sentence for drug traffickers.

Also, Mr Lateef Abiodun, a Criminologist, said that the Senate should extend the death penalty to cases of corruption by public officers.

Abiodun said that if the death penalty was prescribed for financial crimes, it would go a long way to sanitise the country.

He commended the Senate for their doggedness in passing the bill into law and called for speedy assent to the law.