A Human Right Activist and lawyer, Alhaji Abdulfatai Abdulsalam, on Friday, said the death penalty passed by the senate as punishment for drug offenders was extremely harsh.

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill seeking to prescribe death penalty for persons found guilty of trading or consuming hard drugs and narcotics.

The bill titled “National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment Bill) 2024” was passed after majority of the senators supported it at the Committee of the Whole.

The bill amended Section 11 of the NDLEA Act that prescribed that any person who, without lawful authority; Imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

Abdulsalam, who is the Director General of ‘Good Governance and Leadership Assessment Initiative,  told newsmen on Friday in Osogbo that the penalty was extremely harsh.

“I don’t see and know any justification for such harsh legislation for drug trafficking,” he said.

Abdulsalam equally stated that even if the death penalty was given assent to by the President, it would be un-implementable going by happenings in the country.

“Though it is a crime that should be discouraged, but it is not a crime that should go with death penalty.” he said

According to the lawyer, death penalty or death sentence is criticised and discouraged all over the world.

He said that even in Nigeria’s statutes, which still provides death sentences  for capital offences, “the death sentence is rarely implemented.

“Thousands of convicts are in prison now who have been convicted, sentenced to death already, but they are not executed.

“Death sentence is there in our laws, but not implemented.

“So, why will the senate now prescribe such punishment for an offence that is not as serious as murder and armed robbery?” he asked.

Abdulsalam said that laws provide punishments as deterrent to crimes, but added that punishment for crimes were determined by the category under which such crimes fall.

He said that the senate should have worked on ways of making the courts, law enforcement agencies and the NDLEA operations more effective and with the prosecution of drug offenders seamless. (NAN)

The Nigerian Army on Friday pulled out 29 Generals of the Infantry Corps who retired from active military service.

Reports says that out of the 29 retired infantry officers pulled out of active service at the Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State, 19 were Major Generals and 10 Brigadiers General.

Leading the pack was Maj.-Gen.

Ezugwu  encourage their successors to not only sustain the modest strategic, operational and tactical achievements made, but also to surpass them.

”The frontline is expanding and the Nigerian Army is becoming increasingly committed with the eyes of the nation and the world on it.

”Our Infantry Corps must therefore not relent or rest on her oars as the entire Nigerian Army depend largely on the Infantry Corps to achieve its core mandate and mission.

”I admonish the Infantry that as the threats to Nigeria sovereignty is becoming asymmetric in time and space, you must be proactively way ahead of our adversaries in all aspects of the unfolding combat scenarios,” he added.

Ezugwu also called on the Infantry Corps to review some of its tactical and operational strategies in the areas of night fighting capabilities, and frontline intelligence gathering on enemy activities.

He further advised the corps to strengthen basic field crafts training in the areas of aggressive fighting patrols to dominate at least 5 km radius of their locations, Ambushes, listening and observation posts as well as all levels of battle drills.

Ezugwu advocated for employment of modern technology and ICT enablers, and deliberate efforts to develop the leadership skills of junior commanders.

“Be rest assured that my colleagues and I will be glad and willing to avail the Infantry Corps our time, energy and resources until our last breath on earth.”

He announced the donation of 200 books and encyclopedia to the Infantry Corps Centre and Nigerian Army School of Infantry libraries to  promote training, reading culture, mentorship and capacity development of officers and soldiers.

“We are also availing the infantry Corps the sum of N1 million to purchase more Corps related books.

“This is our modest way to encourage  the edification of younger Infantry officers and soldiers so as to inspire and motivate them to reach their full potentials as they grow in service,” Ezugwu said.

He described military career as the most priceless, honourable and sacrificial call to duty globally, and thanked God for allowing them to end their careers alive after serving the nation for between 30 -38 years.

The General described the day as full of emotional feelings, nostalgic memories, wholesome gratitude, unending joy and unwavering fulfilment.

“For every service personnel, retirement from active service remains a natural and inevitable end which begins to count from the day we passed out from NDA as officers in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

”Our joy and that of our families, colleagues and friends gathered here today knows no bounds as we take a final bow from the  Infantry Corps.

“On  behalf of my retired colleague Generals, I most respectfully and dutifully appreciate the incumbent Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja for organising this benefitting and memorable pulling out parade in our honour,” he added.

He also appreciated the Commander Infantry Corps, Maj.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, for mobilising the entire Infantry family including veterans and other luminaries in the Infantry Corps to honour them.

”As I stand on this podium and looking around this Parade Ground, I am moved with hysterical feeling of excitement considering the mammoth turn out of the infantry family.

”Host and neighbouring communities of Jaji, Labar, Wusono, Railway, Birnin Yero, Angwan Loya and other parts of Zazzau Emirate, led by our revered Emir, to celebrate our retirement.”

Maj-Gen. Victor Ezugwu during the pulling out parade on Friday at Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State. (NAN)

The call to scrap the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) for alleged poor performance has been condemned.

Mr Okezi Odugala, the Executive Director of a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Eziodu Initiative for Sustainable Environmental Development, condemned the call on Friday while addressing newsmen in Asaba.

He was reacting to a call made by Mr Kehinde Taiga, President of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, to scrap the commission for allegedly performing below expectation.

Odugala described the commission as an interventionist agency that was established through the tireless efforts of many.

He wondered why anybody could contemplate dismantling an agency that had delivered numerous infrastructural projects across the oil-bearing communities in the state.

He, however, asked if the person representing Taiga’s ethnic group in the commission had not contributed to projects in the area.

Odugala said that constructive criticism was better than casting aspersions on the commission and its officials.

He advised critics to refrain from distracting the management team of the commission from the focus on delivering the ‘M.O.R.E. Agenda’ of the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration to residents of Delta.

He described the appointees on the board of DESOPADEC as highly cerebral persons with professional and positive communal track records.

“They have achieved success stories in their public and private careers,” he said.

Odugala lauded Chief John Nani, the commission’s chairman, as a humane servant leader and philanthropist with a credible pedigree, adding that his legacies should not be rubbished by “a neophyte”.

He advised detractors to wait for their turn and not attempt to tarnish the reputation of esteemed leaders who had remained their compass.

Odugala said people should be credible and constructive in their criticism.

“CSOs should operate within the confines of the law, partnering for the sustainable development of the state,” he said.

He also said that critics should suggest better ways and join hands with the management of the commission and other stakeholders to build a better future for the people of the state.

”I am calling on Comrade Kehinde Taiga to contribute his quota positively for the sustainable development of Delta State and not to cast aspersions nor carry out unfounded negative media trials of DESOPADEC and her management team.

”We need everyone onboard to passionately contribute to the peace, unity and prosperity of Delta.

“The commission, as much as I know, is on the positive path of realising her mandate of intervening in the oil-bearing communities and needs our support always,” Odugala said.

Taiga had recently alleged that all the projects showcased by DESOPADEC were shadow projects that did not add value to the lives of people in the communities they were meant to serve.

He noted that there was no tangible project executed by the commission in most of the communities it was established to serve.

He listed some recognised oil-producing areas that had no presence of DESOPADEC projects in them.

Taiga expressed disappointment over the poor performance of the commission despite the billions of naira it received from the state government.

He said the commission was not designed to run poor skills acquisition programmes but to build, develop and transform host communities across the state.

“So, if the state government cannot scrap DESOPADEC in order to see effectiveness in the agency, it should be restructured.

“All communities that are captured in the agency’s catchment areas should be grouped into clusters,” Taiga said. (NAN)