PHARMACISTS ADVOCATE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG TRAFFICKERS

As the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) staged a
five-kilometre walk round Oyo State capital in support of its
anti-drug awareness campaign, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
(PSN) has advocated capital punishment for hard drug traffickers and
peddlers in the country.

PSN specifically wants drastic measures to be taken against the
cultivators of cannabis sativa otherwise known as Indian hemp and
their barons saying they were murderers and silent killers.

Speaking at the awareness rally organised by the NDLEA in Ibadan for
stakeholders, notably the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Drug
Free Club, the Crime Watch and other Non-Governmental Organisations,
Oyo State chairman of the PSN, Mr. Kunle Amusan reeled out the dangers
inherent in illicit drugs and concluded that "it will not be too much
for the authorities to mete out capital punishment to offenders.

"The cultivators of illicit drugs as well as the barons are not only
unpatriotic elements, but they are murderers for perpetrating this
heinous crime," he said stressing that they should be adequately dealt
with.

According to him, this measure, if taken, would send a message to the
society that government was serious in its war against production,
trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs in the country.

While commending the NDLEA for waging relentless war on illicit drugs
in the country, the PSN chief pledged the solidarity of his
organisation to the agency and assured of the society's readiness to
partner with the NDLEA in the just struggle.

Oyo State Commander of NDLEA, Mr Jadi Suleiman, had earlier explained
that the on-going Drug Demand Reduction programme would be intensified
as the campaign would soon be taken to the schools and colleges as
well as the grassroots.