Drug Peddlers Should Be Made to Wash Public Toilets, AGF Fagbemi Demands
- Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi has called for community service punishments, such as washing toilets, for convicted drug offenders
- NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa unveiled 46 new operational vehicles for the agency’s commanders nationwide
- The agency reported major drug seizures and arrests, linking substance abuse to Nigeria’s security crises
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has urged a review of Nigeria’s sentencing guidelines to mandate community service for convicted drug offenders.
Speaking at the commissioning of 46 operational vehicles for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abuja on Wednesday, Fagbemi said such measures could serve as an effective deterrent against drug-related crimes.
Source: Twitter
He suggested that offenders sentenced to hard labour should serve their punishment within their communities, performing tasks that would carry a strong message to others considering similar crimes.
“Those who are convicted of a criminal offence involving an illicit drug usage and sentenced to hard labour should be taken to their local government or village to do this hard work. It may be another point that we should consider very seriously, and maybe this will deter them,” 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.”
NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, described the new fleet of vehicles as both “symbolic and historic,” noting that it was the first time in the agency’s 35-year history that official cars were provided for commanders.
The acquisition includes 36 Mecanno SUVs and 10 Mecanno executive sedans, which will be allocated to directors, zonal commanders, and state commanders nationwide.
Drug abuse linked to heinous crimes
Marwa also linked drug abuse to Nigeria’s major security problems, identifying kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, insurgency, and cult-related violence as activities often driven by illicit substances.
He revealed that between January 2024 and June 2025, the NDLEA confiscated more than 1 billion pills of Tramadol, 14.4 million bottles of codeine, and 5.5 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs.
The agency also destroyed 700 hectares of cannabis farms and arrested 40,887 suspects within the same period.
“Every ground seized, every suspect arrested, every drug user rehabilitated contributes to building a safer and healthier Nigeria,” Marwa stated.
NDLEA commended for fight against drugs
Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, commended the NDLEA for its renewed effectiveness, saying it had evolved from “a dormant to a frontline organisation” in the fight against narcotics.
Source: Twitter
He stressed that the military would continue collaborating closely with the agency, noting that illegal drugs play a major role in sustaining the operations of insurgents, bandits, and terrorists.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, also praised the NDLEA for adhering to due process in the acquisition of the vehicles.
“NDLEA, for me, is an example for other agencies of government. We can testify to you that these vehicles have gone through standardisation and they are fit for purpose,” he said.
AGF Fagbemi sends warning to other states
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that AGF Lateef Fagbemi warned state governments against actions that threaten national security.
He defended President Tinubu’s emergency declaration in Rivers State, citing legal and security justifications to protect critical infrastructure.
Fagbemi emphasized the federal government’s readiness to take decisive action against any state undermining national stability.
Source: Legit.ng
