Tinubu denies approval for NDLEA bill due to proceeds clause

The article reports that President Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025 into law due to a clause that would allow the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes.

The President cited the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which requires all proceeds of crime to be paid into the government's Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account, with disbursements to agencies like the NDLEA subject to his approval and the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly. This is to ensure accountability and oversight in the management of such funds. This is the second bill that President Tinubu has withheld assent from in the same week, following his rejection of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund (Establishment) Amendment Bill, 2025, due to inconsistencies with existing federal laws and policies.