By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a Civil Society Organization, CSO, Hope Behind Bars Africa, Wednesday, opposed inclusion in the proposed amendment of the Nigerian Senate to the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement, NDLEA.

The call was made by the Executive Director, Hope Behind Bars Africa, Oluwafunke Adeoye, during a world press conference held to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with the theme ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention’.

Adeoye the National Assembly should critically review and reverse its position on the use of Death Penalty for drug offences in Nigeria as its proposal represents a severe setback for human dignity and criminal justice reforms in Nigeria.

She said her organisation’s approach to crime deterrence is co-creating evidence-based solutions that address the root causes of crime and uphold the dignity and rights of all individuals in the process.

Therefore, she pointed out that specifically for drug related offences, the evidence is clear, the government must invest in prevention.

Meanwhile, according to her, death penalty lacks deterrent effect associated with drug trafficking, which countries with high execution rates for drug offences, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, still face serious drug problems.

Misalignment with International Human Rights Law, which Nigeria has been a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) since 1993, Article 6 of the treaty states that “in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime.”

Possibility of Irreversible Injustice: The death penalty inherently carries the risk of irreversible errors. In any judicial system, the possibility of wrongful convictions poses a serious threat to justice.

Contradiction with Global Trends: There is a global trend towards abolition of the death penalty especially for non-violent crime. Part of the rationale for this is that scientific evidence and modern criminology suggests that addressing the root causes of crime.

However, she made it clear that Hope Behind Bars Africa’s position against the death penalty should not be misconstrued as support for crime-related activities. On the contrary, they have overtime supported the mandate of the Legal Aid Council to ensure the speedy delivery of justice for the socio-economically disadvantaged, firmly upholding human rights and ensuring that indigent persons charged with capital offenses have the best form of legal representation pro bono.

She said: “On this International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed annually on 26 June to promote action and cooperation for a drug-free world, we believe it is crucial to amend the NDLEA Act.

“We call on the National Assembly to focus on the following priorities:Include appropriate proactive measures to block the pipeline through which people are able to access illicit drugs.

“Develop detailed guidelines for appropriate imprisonment and fines for drug offenses by categorizing them based on the type of narcotic and specific quantities involved.

“Decriminalization of low-level drug use or implementation of non-custodial sanctions alongside adequate mental health support.

“Adopt harm reduction strategies by strengthening social protection systems and implementing policies that focus on public health approaches to drug use, access to treatment and rehabilitation programs.

” Invest in the capacity development of law enforcement officers, judicial officers and other stakeholders who handle drug-related cases. Enhance oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse and ensure that legal processes adhere to human rights standards.

“On this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking we reaffirm our commitment to uphold human rights and human dignity and to promote justice that restores.

“Hope Behind Bars Africa firmly opposes the introduction of the death penalty for drug offenses in Nigeria.

“We urge the National Assembly to reconsider this bill and focus on progressive, humane, and effective solutions to address the drug endemic.”