At Cambridge, Marwa Insists Drug Barons Must Forfeit Their Wealth
By Peace Erewunmi
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has said the fight against drug trafficking cannot be won through arrests and convictions alone.
Marwa argued that drug traffickers must also be stripped of the wealth generated from their criminal activities to effectively dismantle the networks financing the illicit trade.
He made the submission while delivering a presentation titled “Criminal Property and the Criminal Process: How Can We Make It More Effective?” at the 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, organised by the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The symposium brought together judges, law enforcement chiefs, financial intelligence experts, academics and other specialists involved in the fight against organised and economic crime.
‘Arrest Alone Is Not Enough’
Marwa said the effectiveness of the criminal justice system should not be measured solely by the number of convictions secured.
According to him, a drug trafficker who loses his freedom but retains his fortune has not been completely defeated because the money can be used to finance new criminal operations, support associates and rebuild trafficking networks.
He therefore advocated a system that would ensure criminals are denied the proceeds of their crimes promptly and lawfully while the value of recovered assets is preserved.
The NDLEA boss compared arresting a trafficker without dismantling his financial base to cutting a weed while leaving its roots intact, warning that illicit wealth could resurface through front companies, different identities or other jurisdictions.
NDLEA’s Asset Recovery Strategy
Marwa outlined six strategies adopted by the NDLEA to strengthen its asset recovery efforts.
He said the agency’s approach is supported by the NDLEA Act 2004, the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Among the examples he cited was the forfeiture of the Hook Hotel, a property allegedly linked to a fugitive drug suspect.
According to Marwa, the property was recovered through non-conviction-based forfeiture and later sold for $4.2 million, with the proceeds paid into the Federal Government’s forfeited assets account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He said the case demonstrated that fleeing the country or remaining beyond the reach of law enforcement should not allow suspects to retain the financial benefits of alleged criminal activities.
Over $7 Million in Bank Accounts Frozen
Marwa also disclosed that the NDLEA had intensified financial investigations alongside traditional drug enforcement operations.
He said the agency froze bank accounts worth more than $7 million in the previous month and secured interim forfeiture orders covering multibillion-naira assets, including filling stations, multi-storey buildings and exotic vehicles allegedly linked to a fugitive methamphetamine syndicate.
He further explained that NDLEA investigators and prosecutors now work together from the early stages of cases, helping to reduce the time between arrests and the securing of restraint orders.
Preserving the Value of Recovered Assets
The NDLEA chairman also highlighted the agency’s use of professional asset managers to prevent recovered businesses from losing value while court proceedings continue.
He cited a case involving Nigerian businessman Amadi Simon, whom he described as a suspected drug trafficker arrested in Switzerland through a joint operation involving the NDLEA, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and authorities in Switzerland, Greece and France.
Marwa said three hotels allegedly connected to the suspect were placed under professional management rather than being shut down, allowing them to continue operating while the case proceeds.
He also pointed to the use of interlocutory sales for assets that are perishable or rapidly depreciating, as a way of protecting their value before the conclusion of court proceedings.
Financial Disruption Made National Priority
According to Marwa, the financial disruption of drug trafficking organisations has now been incorporated into Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030.
He identified three principles guiding the NDLEA’s asset recovery strategy: speed over sequence, preservation of value and institutionalisation.
However, he acknowledged challenges including delays in international mutual legal assistance, limited forensic accounting capacity and the need to balance the rights of accused persons with the government’s responsibility to preserve assets pending trial.
Marwa consequently called for faster international cooperation and stronger cross-border recognition of non-conviction-based forfeiture orders.
He maintained that dismantling the financial foundations of drug trafficking is essential to preventing criminal networks from regenerating after arrests and prosecutions.
For the NDLEA, the objective is therefore not only to put drug traffickers behind bars but also to ensure that the wealth generated from illicit activities cannot be used to sustain the drug trade.
