Tinubu withdraws assent to NDLEA amendment bill

By Myke Agunwa

President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Amendment Bill 2025, citing constitutional conflicts.

While NDLEA had requested to keep a portion of recoveries from proceeds of crime, Tinubu argued that under the laws, all proceeds of crime are required to be paid into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. He said that the disbursements of such funds to any agency involved in such recoveries must be authorized by the President, with approval from both the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly.

In a formal communication to the National Assembly, President Tinubu invoked Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empowers him to withhold assent to a bill passed by the National Assembly.

The President explained that his decision was based on a key provision in the amendment bill that seeks to allow the NDLEA to retain a portion of proceeds derived from drug-related crimes. He argued that such a provision conflicts with the existing legal and administrative framework guiding the management of proceeds of crime in Nigeria.

“The rationale for my decision is that the bill seeks to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency power to retain a portion of the proceeds of drug-related crime,” Tinubu stated in the letter.

“There is no compelling reason to change the current process, which promotes transparency, as it involves executive and legislative oversight,” the President added.

The NDLEA Amendment Bill 2025, which had earlier been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, was designed to enhance the agency’s operational independence and funding capacity