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UNITED STATES has listed
Ni-geria as one of the 20 countries flourishing in illicit drug trade.
This is contained in a memo from George Bush, US president to the Secretary of State authorising him to send the report on such countries to the Congress and publish it in the Federal Register.
In the memo, Bush listed others involved to include Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.Others are Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
"Pursuant to section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228)(FRAA), I hereby identify the following countries as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela".
Bush noted inadequate precedures to streamline extradition adding that the most effective combat against such crime is making the drug pushers face criminal chrages and jail term in countries where they traffick drugs into. "Still necessary are procedural reforms to streamline extradition procedures.
For many narcotics criminals no sanction is more effective than the fear they could face a court and jail time in the countries to which they have trafficked narcotics".
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"Nigeria should also redouble its efforts to use its frequent apprehension of street criminals and couriers to identify and prosecute major drug traffickers.
The US president acknowledged Nigeria's cooperation with the international committee to improve efforts against money laundering in addition to progress made in narcotics control and money laundering through her agencies.
"The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized millions in the proceeds of crime, anti-money laundering efforts have been successful, and Nigeria is cooperating with the international community to improve its efforts against money laundering even more".
He explained that a country's presence on the Majors List is not necessarily an adverse reflection of its government's counternarcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.
He cited the statutory definition of a major drug transit or drug producing country in section 481(e)(2) and (5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
"one of the reasons that major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographical, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced despite the concerned government's most assiduous enforcement measures".
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