President Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, into law.
The president’s decision, communicated in a letter read during plenary in the Green Chamber on Thursday, cites Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He explained that the bill, which seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of proceeds from drug-related crimes, conflicts with existing financial regulations.
According to the president, under the current framework, “All proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”
He maintained that there is no compelling reason to change a process that ensures accountability through executive and legislative oversight.
Details later…
