The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has called for a review of Nigeria’s sentencing laws to mandate community service punishments—such as toilet washing—for convicted drug offenders.
Fagbemi made the proposal on Wednesday in Abuja during the commissioning of 46 operational vehicles for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He argued that beyond imprisonment, shaming punishments could deter others from engaging in the narcotics trade.
“Those who are convicted of a criminal offence involving illicit drug use and sentenced to hard labour should be taken to their local government or village to do the work,” Fagbemi said.
“When you see somebody who has been dealing in illegal drugs and you ask him to pick papers or wash toilets, that may also be a deterrent.”
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), hailed the vehicle acquisition as “symbolic and historic,” noting that for the first time in the agency’s 35-year history, official cars were being provided for directors and commanders nationwide.
The fleet—comprising 36 Mecanno SUVs and 10 Mecanno executive sedans—will be deployed to directors, zonal and state commanders.
Marwa linked drug abuse to rising insecurity in Nigeria, warning that crimes such as kidnapping, terrorism, armed robbery and cult violence are fuelled by illicit substances.
Between January 2024 and June 2025, the NDLEA seized over one billion pills of Tramadol, 14.4 million bottles of codeine, 5.5 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs, destroyed 700 hectares of cannabis farms, and arrested 40,887 offenders.
“Every ground seized, every suspect arrested, every drug user rehabilitated contributes to building a safer and healthier Nigeria,” Marwa said.
Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, commended the NDLEA for transforming from a “dormant” agency to a “frontline” partner in Nigeria’s security fight.
“All these bandits, terrorists, insurgents cannot operate without taking illegal drugs. Your ability to curtail and reduce this has helped us improve national security,” he noted.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, praised the NDLEA for its transparency in the vehicle procurement process, describing it as “an example for other government agencies.”
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