NDLEA Chairman calls for global cooperation to seize criminal assets

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), Chairman of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has called for enhanced international cooperation to accelerate cross-border asset recovery. Speaking at the 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime at the University of Cambridge, Marwa emphasized that the fight against drug trafficking must focus on making crime unprofitable by seizing illicit wealth.

Marwa argued that securing convictions without dismantling a criminal's financial resources is insufficient, comparing the practice to “pruning a weed at the stem while leaving its roots undisturbed.” He warned that criminals often use jurisdictional gaps, front companies, and different names to hide assets, allowing them to fund future operations even after losing their liberty.

To combat this, Marwa advocated for stronger global recognition of non-conviction-based forfeiture orders and urged the international community to close loopholes that allow criminals to retain proceeds of crime. He noted that the NDLEA is utilizing various legal frameworks, including the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022, to strengthen its approach to asset seizure.