Nigeria: Pharmacists Advocate Capital Punishment for Drug Traffickers

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Nigeria: Pharmacists Advocate Capital Punishment for Drug Traffickers

Yemi Bamidele

28 December 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200812290904.html

 

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.