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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has advocated stiffer punishment, rather than the option of fines, for drug traffickers and their agents in the country.
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Gen. Mohammed Marwa (retd), says the agency is seeking strict imprisonment terms that would deter others from engaging in such crimes.
Marwa spoke yesterday at the unveiling of the harmonised restorative justice training curriculum and manual organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme.
He explained that experience has shown that the option of fines in place of outright imprisonment has not deterred drug traffickers, hence the rise in the abuse of illicit substances in the country.
The agency appealed to the Chief Judge and judges of the Federal High Court to always consider strict imprisonment for drug offenders who do not deserve the mercy of the law.
According to Marwa, Nigeria currently has over 10 million cannabis users, a development he described as very worrisome.
In the past five years, he said the agency has seized about 15 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances, of which between 70 and 75 per cent was cannabis.
The worrisome situation, he said, compelled the NDLEA, under his personal intervention, to meet cannabis growers, especially in Ondo State, to enlighten them to stop cultivating Indian hemp and embrace legitimate food and cash crops that would improve their livelihoods.
He noted with satisfaction that the efforts have been yielding positive results, with encouraging responses from the field.
Marwa said that hundreds of farmers opting out of cannabis cultivation would not only have sustainable means of legitimate livelihood but would also no longer live in fear of possible arrest and prosecution by the NDLEA.
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Marwa said the programme represents a collective commitment to strengthening the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which he described as a landmark reform designed to promote efficiency, transparency and respect for the rule of law within Nigeria’s justice system.
According to him, the introduction of National Minimum Standards is both timely and strategic. The standard provides a unified framework to guide institutions and practitioners, ensuring consistency, clarity and measurable benchmarks in the administration of criminal justice across the country.
“For the NDLEA, the effectiveness implementation of ACJA, guided by this standard is critical to our mandate. It provides clearer procedural direction, and enhances inter-agency collaboration, strengthen our capacity to prosecute drug related offences efficiency, while upholding human rights and the rule of law.
“Equally, commendable is the emphasis on restorative justice through the harmonized justice training curriculum and manual 2025.
“This progressive approach complements the traditional justice system by promoting rehabilitation, reintegration and community based solution. It is particularly relevant in addressing situations where a purely punitive approach may not yield sustainable outcomes.
That is what the alternative development programme of the agency is all about. We have a Nigeria, over 10 Million cannabis users.
In the last five years we made seizures of about 15 Million kilograms of assorted illicit substances 70 to 75 percent of which is cannabis. And we have to approach this matter with a dynamic paradigm shift. We have now approach cannabis growers to consider dropping illicit growing.
In a welcome address at the occasion, the Director, Administration of Criminal Justice Reform and Development Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Leticia Ayoola Daniels, said the occasion represented the culmination of years of deliberate, intentional, collaborative and painstaking efforts to strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice System in Nigeria through the institutionalisation of restorative justice as a viable and effective complement to conventional justice processes.
The National Minimum Standards (2025), she said, establish the operational benchmarks required to institutionalise restorative justice in Nigeria, ensuring that its implementation aligns with global best practices while remaining responsive to local realities.
According to her, the Harmonised Restorative Justice Training Curriculum and Manual (2025), on the other hand, is designed to provide a comprehensive framework for training facilitators, ensuring consistency in practice, and promoting professionalism in the delivery of restorative justice processes across jurisdictions.
