The Federal Government is working on amendments to Nigeria’s drug laws that would eliminate the option of fines for convicted drug traffickers, replacing the provision with mandatory prison sentences in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against illicit drug trafficking.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed the plan through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. He said the proposed amendment is being driven by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and will soon be presented to the National Assembly.

Babafemi praised the judiciary for its cooperation with the agency, noting that the NDLEA has maintained a conviction rate of nearly 90 percent in drug-related cases.

He said:

“We’ve had a very good relationship with the judiciary because when you look at our conviction rate, it’s almost 90 per cent. In our own case, you hardly find any appeal because we get offenders with the exhibits right there.”

However, he described the current provision allowing convicted traffickers to pay fines instead of serving prison terms as a major weakness in the law.

According to him:

“There is a small nag there and that is the issue of the option of fine, and we are very grateful that the Federal Government through the Office of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is addressing that.”

He continued:

“I think there is an executive bill which will soon get to the National Assembly to amend the law so that there will be no that option of fine.”

Explaining why the amendment is necessary, Babafemi added:

“Because they know that there is a loophole for an option of fine, the judge gives an option of fine, then you find them paying there whether N5 million, N10 million, N20 million.”

He further disclosed the proposed penalties under the amended law, saying:

“But that I believe is being addressed at the moment and when that law is passed then there will be nothing like that, you will have probably a minimum of 15 then 25 years in prison so that you know that when you are arrested you are going to jail and then you lose everything.”

Babafemi also said the NDLEA’s sustained operations have significantly disrupted the illegal drug market, making narcotics more difficult to obtain and substantially increasing their street prices.

He said:

“If you follow some of the conversations online, you will hear young people complaining, ‘Why are you people always seizing these things? Now because of what you are doing, a gram of cana has moved from N5,000 to N35,000.’”

He added that the agency has uncovered billions of naira in bank accounts linked to suspected drug traffickers, with the funds frozen pending forfeiture proceedings. Babafemi also noted that intensified enforcement has made Nigeria an increasingly hostile environment for drug traffickers, forcing many of them to flee abroad while the agency continues to collaborate with international partners to track and prosecute them.