Nigeria, June 26 -- President Bola Tinubu has withheld assent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, citing concerns over financial accountability.

In a letter read on the House floor Thursday, Tinubu said the bill's provision allowing the NDLEA to retain proceeds from drug-related crimes violates existing financial protocols.

Quoting Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, the President noted that all crime proceeds must go into the government's Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account, with disbursements requiring presidential approval and oversight by both the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.

He stressed there is no justification for bypassing a system designed to ensure transparency ...