Drug Trafficking And National Security

By FEMI OLORUNTOBA

I must confess that I feel highly privileged to be one of the Guest Speaker at this Anti-Drug Awareness Workshop. This feeling is because, I will be counted among those who have preached the Gospel against Drug Trafficking and Abuse in this Country.
Let us attempt to define the key words in the subject.
(i)  Drug:  Drug can be variously defined. For example;
(a) The Food and Drug Act 1955 Cap F33 L.F.N 2004 defines drug as "il1c1udes medicine for internal or external use"
(b)  Blacks law Dictionary 6th Edition at page 497 defines Drug as
"An article intended for use in the diagnosis, care, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in man or other animals and any article other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals, any substance used or a medicine".
(c)  The new International Webster's pocket Dictionary defines Drug as
"Any substance used or as a medicine, any narcotic, an overabundant commodity.
(d) 1961 single Convention on narcotic drugs defines Drug as "Any of the substances in Schedules I and II of the Convention whether natural or synthetic"
(e) Interestingly NAFDAC Act CAP N1 L.F.N. 2004 did not define 'drug' but the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwholesome processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C34 L.F.N. 2004 defines drug and drug product as includes a cosmetic product containing an active medicinal ingredient.
    (f)     The NDLEA Act Cap N30 L.F.N. 1990 defines narcotic drugs as
"any of the substances, natural or synthetic in the First Schedule of the Single" Convention on narcotic Drugs 1961 and the Convention as amended by the 1972 protocol amending the single convention on narcotic Drugs as amended in the second schedule to this Act including the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
This is the class of drug that this lecture will focus on.
(ii) Trafficking
The 1988 UN Convention Against  Illicit Traffic in Narcotic - Drugs and Psychotropic Substances define "illicit traffic" to mean
"The offences set forth in Article 3 paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Convention.
Article 3 paragraphs 1 and 2 list the following offences. (a) Production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, offering, offering for sale distribution, sale, delivery on any terms whatsoever, brokerage, dispatch, dispatch in Transit, transport, importation, exportation of any narcotic or psychotropic substances etc.
(iii)     National: The Blacks Law Dictionary Sixth Edition defines national as
"pertaining or relating to a nation as a whole". National contemplates an activity with a national scope"
(iv)     Security: The new International Webster's pocket Dictionary defines security as
"The state of being secure, freedom from danger, risk, care, poverty, doubt etc.
From the definitions of the key words, our discussion will centre on illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs and National Security. For decades, the global illicit drug trade has constituted a significant national and transnational security threat. It's power and influence threaten democratic governments, undermine the rule of law, terrorize population, impede economic development and cause national and Regional Instability.
Let us look at the extent of the problem at Transnational level as it affects West Africa and Nigeria.
According to a UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa Report October, 2008;
    (i)     Between 2005 and 2008 at least 46 tons of Cocaine was seized in West African subregion. This is alarming when compared with the fact that before then the entire continent hardly seize a ton.
(ii)     About 3.4 tons of Cocaine was seized from 1357 West African Couriers on commercial flights from West Africa to Europe between 2004 and 2Q08.
(iii)     Out of the 1357 Couriers arrested, Nigerian citizens were by far more detected nationality accounting for about 57% of total arrested.
(iii)     530/0 of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31% of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.
The above represents the transnational or transborder angle of drug trafficking as it affects Nigeria.
Let us look at the Extent of the problem Domestically
(i) More than half of arrestees for violent crimes test positive for drug at the time of their arrest.
(ii) In many cities, more than 60% of Okada riders are on drugs while riding Okada.
 6. Assuming as we are seated in this Hall, we are asked to pick the six crimes that should be of priority to the Government of Nigeria both at national or state levels, we are likely to pick the following offences.
(i)  Armed robbery
(Ii) Kidnapping and hostage taking (iii) Cultism
(iv) Gruesome murder and assassination (v) Rape, child defilement and assault (vi) Corruption and looting of treasury.
6. Assuming as we are seated in this Hall, we are asked to pick the six crimes that should be of priority to the Government of Nigeria both at national or state levels, we are likely to pick the following offences.
    (i)     Armed robbery
(ii) Kidnapping and hostage taking (iii) Cultism
(iv) Gruesome murder and assassination (v) Rape, child defilement and assault (vi) Corruption and looting of treasury.
 7. Nobody has remembered to talk about drug trafficking and abuse which incidentally is a predisposing factor to at least five of the six priority crimes listed above. It is in this context that the relationship between drug and national security can be better appreciated.
8. The above actually reflects the thinking in Government cycle including the thinking of government advisers. In March 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated a Committee headed by the late Hon. Justice Akintola. Ejiwunmi, CON to advise government on the priority crimes. At page 81 of the report of the Committee, the Committee said
"The Crime categories of particular concern are
Crimes involving fire-arms which have significantly increased the level of violence associated with crime, thereby increasing physical and psychological costs of crime to society.
Economic and financial crimes places a burden on the economy and contributes to the prevailing sense of lawlessness.
Gender Violence and crimes against children are not only highly prevalent but have a profoundly negative impact on the rights and future wellbeing of women and children.
Violence associated with inter-group conflict, such as political conflicts, and land disputes are unacceptably common in Nigeria and pose a threat to democratic tolerance and orderly co-existence.
Armed robbery has increased substantially and has contributed to increased levels of fear and insecurity .
Corruption within criminal justice system, contributes to a general climate of lawlessness, and serves to undermine the legitimacy and effectiveness of the criminal justice system"
9. The above has therefore imparted negatively in the past on Government attention, funding and provision or logistics for fighting drug trafficking and abuse. It is however heart warming that the situation has changed dramatically since 2007 when the present government came into power. At this juncture, it is important to note that the more drugs we are able to disallow from entering into the society, the safer the society for people to live in both in terms of security of their life and property.
DRUGS ARE BIG THREATS TO YOUTHS AND MINORS
10. While looking at the extent of the problem earlier in this paper, we noted that about 25% of those arrested for drug trafficking and abuse are youths and minors. If any nation must grow, special attention must be given to the youth and school population. A youth population hooked on drugs cannot be relied upon as leaders of tomorrow. The entire society must cooperate with NDLEA to stop the youth from drug. Let no parent be deceived that his children are free from the temptation of drug trafficking and abuse. In fact, it must be stated that the parents that are well to do face a bigger challenge of their children been involved in drug trafficking and abuse. We have arrested children of medical doctors, lawyers and other professionals for carrying drugs and many more for being hooked on drugs. Kuti is a 17 years old girl and a daughter of a Judge. This was her confession
"Parents are easily duped, my father is a High Court Judge and he had no idea I was using drugs. Parents see the fliers advertising alcohol free dance so they offer to actually drive their kids to the event. They don't realize there is a huge problem with denial. I will urge parents to look outside the box. There is no one kind of kid who is likely to become drug addict"
Kuti continued "The first time I tried ecstasy, I loved it, I felt like I was part of the crowd. I felt so happy everybody got along. You danced all night, you stayed then. I figured I am not doing heroin or coke so I am o.k. Then one pill didn't work any more I had to take as many as 10 pills to get the good feeling. After a while you are always chasing that first high but you never get it"