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.