By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking is shifting from chasing couriers to hunting the wealth behind the trade, as the NDLEA moves to trace and seize the assets funding drug cartels.
To this effect, the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa has therefore ordered investigators and prosecutors to intensify efforts to trace, seize and recover the proceeds and instrumentalities of narcotics trafficking, with the goal of dismantling the financial networks that keep criminal enterprises in business
Marwa gave the charge on Wednesday, while declaring open an Advanced Capacity Building Programme on Financial Investigations, Asset Tracing, Forfeiture, Recovery and Management of the Proceeds and Instrumentalities of Narcotics Trafficking and Related Organised Crime in Abuja.
In his welcome remarks, the NDLEA boss described drug trafficking as fundamentally an economic enterprise, sustained by financiers, facilitators, money launderers and professional enablers operating behind every drug shipment.
“If we arrest the courier but leave the financier untouched, seize the drugs but allow the proceeds to remain with the criminal enterprise, or secure a conviction without recovering the illicit wealth, we have addressed only part of the problem,” he said in a statement emailed to PerSecondNews by the Director Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The NDLEA chairman observed that criminal organisations were increasingly exploiting technology, cryptocurrencies, complex corporate structures and legitimate businesses to conceal the ownership and origin of illicit wealth.
He charged investigators and prosecutors to develop the capacity to analyse complex transactions, trace assets across borders, establish beneficial ownership, exploit digital evidence and build financial cases capable of supporting forfeiture and recovery.
According to him, the agency’s next imperative, having made significant progress in seizing narcotics and prosecuting traffickers, was to dismantle the economic foundations of the drug trade and make narcotics trafficking a high-risk, low-profit enterprise.
“The sophistication of organised crime demands a corresponding sophistication in our response. We must move from crime detection to crime disruption; from arresting offenders to dismantling criminal enterprises; and from confiscating drugs to depriving traffickers of the wealth that motivates and sustains their activities,” he stated.
He noted that the drug trafficking ecosystem intersects with money laundering, corruption, cybercrime, human trafficking, illicit arms trafficking and other forms of organised crime, making sustained cooperation within the NDLEA and among partner institutions indispensable.
Marwa called for stronger synergy among the agency’s intelligence, investigation, prosecution, forensics, asset and financial investigation directorates, describing them as interconnected links in one enforcement chain that must work as one agency rather than in isolation.
He extended the call to inter-agency collaboration, noting that no single institution possesses all the information, expertise or capacity required to confront sophisticated criminal networks.
The NDLEA Boss further commended the expertise of resource persons at the programme, including Judge Michael Hopmeier, recently retired Circuit Judge at Southwark Crown Court, United Kingdom; Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, former Chairman of the ICPC; and Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.
Others include Calvin Wilson, Global MLCFT Advisor; Jason Sandoval, Head of European Operations at Asset Reality, and his colleague, Nick Francis; Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, cryptocurrency expert and Special Assistant to the President on Justice Sector Reform; and Chioma Chikelu, a crypto-police specialist.
Representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC; Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU; and Judges of the Federal High Court also participated in the programme.
Marwa welcomed their participation, noting that their presence would strengthen the link between investigation, prosecution and adjudication.
He reminded participants that asset recovery does not end with seizure or forfeiture, warning that poor management and lack of transparency could diminish the value of recovered assets and undermine public confidence in the recovery process.
He urged that accountability and transparency be maintained from the point of seizure through forfeiture, management and eventual realisation of recovered assets.
Marwa challenged officers to see the programme not as another routine training but as an opportunity to strengthen the NDLEA’s collective capacity.
He stressed that knowledge gained must not remain within individual directorates but should be shared and translated into coordinated action across the Agency.
The NDLEA chairman expressed confidence that participants would emerge better equipped to follow the money, identify assets, strengthen evidence, secure forfeiture, preserve recovered value and ultimately deprive narcotics traffickers and organised criminal networks of the proceeds that fuel their operations.
In a goodwill message delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, commended Marwa for the strides recorded by the NDLEA under his leadership.
“His Lordship, the Chief Judge, expresses his delights to be part of this programme which is designed to strengthen institutional capacity in financial investigation, asset tracing for future recovery, and management of proceeds and instrumentalities of narcotic trafficking and related crimes, including cybercurrency-enabled money laundering.”he said.
He maintained that the subject demonstrates how extensive and multifaceted drug crimes are, including their ever-expanding frontiers, which require effective and sophisticated law enforcement responses.
“His Lordship appreciates and commends you, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, for your commendable strides since the assumption of office as the Chairman and Chief Executive.”
The Chief Judge further stressed the importance of collaboration between the judiciary and law enforcement agencies in strengthening Nigeria’s response to organised crime.
“His Lordship believes that collaboration between the Federal High Court and law enforcement agencies, especially the NDLEA, will put this nation on a proper spotlight when it comes to law enforcement in the international circle.”
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