Group hails Senate for approving death penalty for drug trafficking

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, MMWG, has commended the Senate over its resolution that death penalty be passed on criminals guilty of drug trafficking.

MMWG, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, commended the Red Chamber for taking the courageous decision, adding that it was one of the best bills ever passed since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

While calling on the House of Representatives to do same for concurrence, Ibrahim pointed out that “the insecurity problem facing Nigeria has its roots in drug addiction and other negative influences”.

Ibrahim, who particularly commended the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume (APC Borno South) and his deputy, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC Ebonyi South) for their contributions in passing the bill, however, disagreed with those condemning capital punishment for violent crimes in Nigeria, pointing out that not less than 20 countries across the world have death penalty as punishment for drug trafficking.

He listed those countries as Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Thailand, United Arab Emirate, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, North-Korea, Philippines, Turkey, Costa-Rica and Columbia, among others.

Ibrahim also criticised some human rights groups calling for the abolition of capital punishment, pointing out that “the wave of violent crimes in Nigeria and frequent recurrence of armed banditry, kidnapping for ransom payment, killing and maiming of innocent people with wanton destruction of property, death sentence becomes inevitable if we are truly committed to restoration of peace and tranquility to Nigeria”.

He, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu not to delay the signing of the new legislation into law so as to reduce criminal activities in the country.

On the cybersecurity levy imposed on Nigerians, the MMWG described the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as an insensitive government organ that ought to know that such a levy is ill-timed and unwarranted, calling on the apex bank not to add to the challenge of hard times being currently faced by Nigerians.

The group also called on Tinubu to compel the CBN to discontinue the implementation of “the questionable and irritative levy without further delay”.