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Death Penalty as Maximum Punishment for Drug Trafficking Proposed by Senate of Nigeria

On Sunday, Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed that it had dismantled an international drug syndicate. The agency intercepted over 4,700 kilograms of cannabis hidden in a gas tanker and apprehended an ex-convict in possession of various illicit drugs.
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Nigeria's Senate proposed on Thursday to replace life imprisonment with the death penalty as the maximum punishment for drug trafficking, the media reported.
The amendment was reportedly suggested after a bill on drug trafficking without the death penalty provision was passed by the Nigerian House of Representatives. The two versions are to be reconciled by the five elected members of the two chambers of the country's National Assembly.
According to the report, those in favor of the measure believed that the fear of facing execution would be a more effective deterrent for drug traffickers compared to a life sentence. On the other hand, legislators who were against the proposal raised concerns about the finality of the death penalty and the potential for innocent individuals to be wrongfully convicted.
Sub-Saharan Africa
French Navy Intercepted Record Over 10-Tonnes Shipment of Cocaine in West Africa
On May 5, an international drug syndicate was broken up in Nigeria, the NDLEA said, adding that more than 4,700 kilograms of cannabis were seized and an ex-convict with illegal drugs was detained.
Among other West African countries serving as a transit point for drug smuggling is Senegal, where in December 2023, about 690 kilograms of cocaine were intercepted en route to Europe, according to the country's navy.