By Joy Yesufu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, citing concerns over a contentious clause on financial autonomy for the agency.
In a letter read during plenary in the House of Representatives on Thursday, Tinubu invoked Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), stating that the bill’s provision allowing the NDLEA to retain a portion of proceeds from drug-related crimes conflicts with existing financial regulations.
According to the President, all proceeds of crime are, by law, to be deposited into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account of the Federal Government.
He emphasized that disbursements from the account, whether to the NDLEA or any other recovery agency must be approved by the President, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.
Tinubu argued that the existing framework ensures transparency and accountability, and there was no compelling reason to bypass it.
The bill had earlier been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and purportedly aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the NDLEA, including provisions to boost funding through retained recoveries.
Further deliberations by the lawmakers are expected in the coming days.
