President Bola Tinubu on Thursday declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025 into law.

New Telegraph reports that the President’s decision not to sign the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly was contained in a letter read in the House of Representatives during plenary.

The President, citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), explained that the proposed law seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes, a move he said contradicts existing financial regulations.

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Tinubu maintained there was no compelling reason to alter a process designed to uphold accountability through executive and legislative oversight.

“All proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”