Group backs Senate over approval of death penalty for drug offenders

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has reacted to the bill passed by the Nigerian Senate on Thursday that death penalty be passed on criminals guilty of drug-trafficking.

In a satement issued by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, the group commended the Senate for taking that courageous decision, adding that it is one of the best bills ever passed since the inauguration of the 10th Senate.

It particularly singled out the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State and his Deputy Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi from Ebonyi State for their commendable roles in passing the bill, and called on the House of Representatives to do same for concurrence pointing out that insecurity problems facing Nigeria has their roots in drug-addiction and other negative influencies.

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria disagreed with those condemning capital purnishment for violent crimes in Nigeria; pointing out that not less than 20 Countries across the world have death penalty as purnishment for drug-trafficking.

The countries according to the Group include Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Thailand, United Arab Emirate, Singapore and Cambodia.

Others are Indonesia, North-Korea, Philippines, Turkey, Costa-Rica, Columbia and others.

It further criticised the socalled Human Rights’ Groups calling for abolition of capital purnishments, pointing out that the wave of violent crimes in Nigeria and frequent recurrence of armed-banditry, kidnapping for ransome payment, killing and maiming of innocent people with wanton destruction of property, death sentence becomes inevitable in Nigeria if we are truly committed to restoration of peace and tranquility to Nigeria.

The Media Group therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to delay the signing into law the new legislation to reduce criminal activities in Nigeria.

On Cyber Security Levy imposed on Nigerian Citizens on transfer of funds, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria described the Central Bank of Nigeria as an insensitive Government Organ that ought to know that such a levy is ill-timed and unwarranted calling on the CBN to withdraw without further delay the circular imposing such levy at this hard times being faced by the Nigerian People.

The Group also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to compel the CBN to discontinue the implementation of the questionable and irritative levy without further delay….END.