Dismantle Cartels’ Wealth: Marwa Orders NDLEA Officers to Target Illicit Finances and Assets
By Fatima Abubakar
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has instructed the agency’s investigators and prosecutors to step up efforts to trace, seize, and recover financial proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
Marwa gave the charge in Abuja while declaring open an advanced training program on financial investigations, asset tracing, forfeiture, recovery, and management of illicit proceeds.
Addressing participants, Marwa asserted that the anti-narcotics war cannot be won through routine arrests and drug seizures alone. He stressed that the agency’s primary focus must shift toward targeting the financiers, money launderers, and facilitators operating behind illicit drug networks.
”If we arrest the courier but leave the financier untouched, seize the drugs but allow the proceeds to remain with the criminal enterprise… we have addressed only part of the problem,” Marwa stated.
He pointed out that modern drug cartels are increasingly relying on technology, cryptocurrency, and complex corporate structures to hide illicit wealth. Consequently, he urged NDLEA personnel to strengthen their capacity in cryptocurrency analysis, digital forensics, and cross-border financial tracking to dismantle the economic foundation of drug cartels.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, commended the NDLEA under Marwa’s leadership. ..
Justice Tsoho highlighted the necessity of deep collaboration among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, and international partners to combat the evolving complexities of organized crime and enhance Nigeria’s global standing.
