President Bola Tinubu has refused assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Amendment Bill, 2025.
Recall that the bill was recently passed by the National Assembly.
The bill proposes granting the NDLEA the power to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug related crimes in variance to the current legal framework.
This is communicated to the House of Representatives as read during plenary on Thursday, by the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas.
President Tinubu, who cited Section 58, Subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution, said that the bill, if signed, was a contravention of the aforementioned sections.
Tinubu clarified that under existing law, all proceeds from crime must be deposited into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.
He explained that any disbursement to relevant agencies involved in recoveries must be made by the President, and only with the approval of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.
