Pubdate: Mon, 29 Dec 2008
Source: Leadership Nigeria (Nigeria)
Copyright: 2008 Leadership Newspapers Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4706
Author: Joshua Uma

NDLEA'S LAW FOR AMENDMENT

The Chairman and Chief Executivc of the National Drug  Law 
Enforccment Agcncy (NDLEA), Alhaji Ahmadu Giade,  has disclosed that 
the agency will be operating a new  law in 2009.

This, he said, would accommodate most of the areas that  were not 
provided for in the present law.

He said this during an interview with LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday, 
while fielding questions  from our correspondcnt.

He stated: "We have observed that drug offenders are  being given 
higher punishments which disagrees with  their offences and we have 
discussed this with the  Chief Judge of the Federal High Court who 
also agreed  to the observation and related it to all the judges.

"So we will start to see drastic changes on the terms  or sentences 
and penalties meted to drug offenders  because the judges will see to 
it that stiffer  punishments are given to serve as deterrent to 
potential offenders," Giade said.

He also said that as Nigeria now operates under the  rule of law, the 
agency also tries to operate within  the ambit of the law.

"When we arrest persons for bailable offences, we don't  deny them 
bail. But when charged to the court, the law  will take its full 
course", he said.

The chairman also intimated LEADERSHIP that the agency had introduced 
a system  whereby the state commands would be directed to write  to 
the governors on the drug situation in such  localities so that they 
can be aware of the trend of  events.

"In fact, some states are going to introduce  regulations which will 
ban or keep under check the use  of substance, which, at present, is 
not being covered  by the agency.

Examples of such substances are the lizard waste, a  solution which 
is a common thing in the streets.

Another one is the substance called solution used by  vulcanisers 
which is only lawful to be used in patching  tubes and lyres.

"But we have found out that people take delight in  using it as 
drugs, there are so many others like them  which are not provided for 
in our laws. There are so  many of such solutions used legally to 
perform one work  or the other but which are being abused and misused.

Therefore, all these are being taken into  consideration. So we are 
going to take immediate and  proper actions once the law is amended", he said.

The agency, through its chairman, told LEADERSHIP that they had 
already taken this complaint  to the National Assembly on their 
observations, and  that the Senate had commenced deliberations on the issue.

"Hopefully by the first quarter of 2009, the agency is  expecting a 
new law which, at least, will take care of  the judges differences in 
passing judgements and will  enhance our mode of operation as well as 
discourage  Nigerians from doing drugs," he concluded.
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