Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Magaji Mato, has called for stronger legislation and tougher financial sanctions against drug traffickers in Nigeria, cautioning against taking actions outside the provisions of the law.
The lawyer was reacting to comments by the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), on the need to intensify efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and cut off the financial resources sustaining the illicit trade.
He said: “Now it is a good action to continue to fight illicit drugs in Nigeria, because we know the harm and injury it has caused to the Nigerian populace, especially the youth, who are the stronghold of the nation. But to advocate any form of extrajudicial punishments will not augur well for us.”
While noting that the scale of drug trafficking in Nigeria required stronger and more effective measures, he encouraged the agency to collaborate with the National Assembly for broader amendments to the NDLEA Acts to strengthen their functions in the fight against illicit drugs.
On concerns about the effectiveness of the judiciary in prosecuting major drug cases, the senior lawyer acknowledged that Nigeria’s justice system has structural challenges but disagreed with the suggestion that the courts are generally compromising drug-related cases.
He said the NDLEA itself had reported a significant number of convictions and sentences secured through the courts, adding that he had personally observed convictions in drug-related cases in jurisdictions where he practises.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV met yesterday with participants in a meeting promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, which focused on the topic “Addiction in Latin America.”
In his address, Pope Leo pointed to four “bridges” that converged at the meeting, representing four paths of cooperation.
According to him, the first is that the Church works closely with international organisations in order to combat the abuse of drugs.
Secondly, the Pope said science and faith form another bridge, since the Church does not want to compete with neuroscience, psychiatry, or public health; and thirdly, the Church serves as a bridge between all continents, as people with common goals come together to “share their suffering, hopes, and pastoral enthusiasm.”
And fourthly, he said the Church and other ecclesial communities employed faith as a common language with which to practise concrete love for those who suffer from addiction.
Pope Leo went on to highlight the centrality of the family, calling it the “domestic Church” which runs through every aspect of efforts to combat substance abuse.