Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, retired, has called for intensified efforts to trace, seize and recover proceeds from drug trafficking.
Marwa says the fight against drug cartels must go beyond arresting suspects and confiscating narcotics to dismantling the financial structures that sustain their operations.
He made the call in Abuja while opening an advanced capacity-building programme on financial investigations, asset tracing, forfeiture, recovery and management of proceeds from narcotics trafficking and related organised crime.
The NDLEA Chairman said drug trafficking operates as an economic enterprise involving financiers, facilitators, money launderers and other professional enablers who often operate behind the scenes.
He noted that criminal networks are increasingly using cryptocurrencies, technology, complex corporate structures and legitimate businesses to conceal illicit wealth, requiring investigators and prosecutors to develop more sophisticated approaches.
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Marwa said NDLEA personnel must strengthen their ability to analyse complex financial transactions, establish ownership of assets, gather digital evidence and trace criminal proceeds across borders.
He also called for greater collaboration among the Agency’s intelligence, investigation, prosecution, forensics and financial investigation units, as well as stronger cooperation with other law enforcement institutions.
Marwa stressed that recovered assets must be properly managed with transparency and accountability from the point of seizure through forfeiture and eventual disposal.
Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, represented by Justice Inyang Ekwo, commended the NDLEA for its achievements and called for stronger collaboration between the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
He said closer cooperation between the Federal High Court, NDLEA and other security agencies would strengthen Nigeria’s law enforcement system and improve the country’s standing internationally.
