Senate pushes fresh NDLEA Amendment after Tinubu’s rejection

The Senate has challenged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to urgently collaborate on redrafting the NDLEA (Amendment) Bill, saying the legislation remains crucial to reshaping Nigeria’s anti-drug framework despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s refusal to assent to it earlier this year.

Speaking at a technical workshop of the NHRC/Civil Society Human Rights Defenders Forum in Abuja on Monday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, represented by his Chief of Staff, Charles Luri-Bala, said the President’s decision in June 2025 to withhold assent does not invalidate the essence of the bill nor diminish its importance to national development.

The review of the NDLEA Act, originally passed by the National Assembly in June, was halted after the President flagged a key provision that conflicted with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

The controversial section sought to allow the NDLEA to retain a share of proceeds from drug-related offences, contrary to existing law mandating that all forfeited assets be paid into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.

Bamidele said stakeholders should view the setback not as a dead end but as an invitation to strengthen the proposed reforms.

“The fact that the president declined assent to the bill in June 2025 does not mean the bill cannot be brought again if the section that conflicts with the Constitution is substantially addressed,” he said.

Framing the issue within broader public-health and human-rights concerns, Bamidele argued that Nigeria’s drug-control regime can no longer rely on punitive measures that degrade vulnerable populations and escalate stigma.

“At the National Assembly, we believe that an effective drug strategy must shift away from overly punitive policies that only exacerbate stigma to a comprehensive approach that prioritizes treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration,” he said.

He added that the illicit drug challenge “requires a multi-sectoral approach that respects the fundamental rights of all persons.”

The workshop, themed “Towards a Comprehensive Drug Harm Reduction Strategy in Nigeria: Legislative Perspectives and Opportunities,” brought together policymakers, civil-society groups and human-rights advocates to rethink drug policy and ensure laws do not endanger those they aim to protect.

Bamidele commended the NHRC and partners for convening the dialogue, noting that the insights and technical recommendations generated would be “invaluable” in shaping a reworked amendment bill that aligns with constitutional requirements while responding to the realities of drug use in communities.

He stressed that the proposed reforms, once corrected and resubmitted, have the potential to “revolutionise the country’s anti-drug war” by giving legal backing to evidence-based harm-reduction strategies.

The Senate, he assured, “is committed to reviewing and supporting an amendment to the legislation that would provide adequate legal and institutional backing” for such reforms.

With the legislative and executive branches aligned on the need for a modern, humane and effective drug-control strategy, observers say the next phase will depend on how quickly stakeholders can build consensus and redraft the bill for resubmission.