Senate Urges Stakeholders to Re-present Amendment to NDLEA Act

The Senate on Monday called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to collaborate in pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s anti-drug war framework.

The upper chamber recalled that the National Assembly had concluded work on the amendment of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004 in June 2025, but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu withheld assent due to a provision in the bill that contradicted Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, made the revelation at a technical session of the NHRC@Civil Society, Human Rights Defenders Forum and Human Rights Expo, held on Monday at Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja.

The event, themed “Towards a Comprehensive Drug Harm Reduction Strategy in Nigeria: Legislative Perspectives and Opportunities,” was organised to refine drug laws and policies to ensure they do not negatively impact the health and wellbeing of drug users and their communities.

Bamidele, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Charles Luri-Bala, praised the NHRC and its partners for convening the workshop aimed at strengthening a holistic drug harm-reduction framework for the nation.

He pointed out that the Senate “recognises that the complexities associated with illicit drug consumption demand a multi-sectoral response that upholds the rights of all citizens, especially those in vulnerable groups.

“At the National Assembly, we maintain that a functional drug policy must move away from excessively punitive measures that intensify stigma, toward a broad-based system focused on treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration.

“These considerations formed the basis for the 10th National Assembly’s decision to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004. However, Mr. President declined assent because the bill conflicted with Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

He emphasised that the president’s refusal to sign the bill in June 2025 “does not mean the legislation cannot be revisited, provided the conflicting provision is satisfactorily corrected.”

Bamidele appealed to stakeholders to unite in addressing the issue, stressing that the bill—once enacted—would significantly transform the nation’s anti-drug campaign due to its strategic importance to national development.

He reaffirmed that the National Assembly is “committed to reviewing and advancing an amendment that will ensure sufficient legal and institutional support for evidence-based drug-harm-reduction initiatives.

“The knowledge and proposals arising from this workshop, especially from legal and expert viewpoints, will greatly assist the National Assembly as it evaluates essential policy reforms.”

In June 2025, President Tinubu withheld assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on the grounds that it breached or contradicted Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The president clarified that the amendment sought to empower the NDLEA to retain part of the proceeds recovered from drug-related offences. He noted that, under existing law, all such proceeds must be remitted to the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.