President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refused to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Amendment Bill, 2025, which was recently approved by the National Assembly.
Naijaonpoint reports that the bill seeks to empower the NDLEA to keep a portion of the proceeds from drug-related offences, which is contrary to the existing legal framework.
However, Speaker Tajudeeen Abbas confirmed during the House of Representatives plenary session on Thursday that the President has rejected the bill.
President Tinubu, referencing Section 58, Subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution, stated that signing the bill would violate the aforementioned sections.
Tinubu further clarified that, according to current law, all proceeds from criminal activities must be deposited into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.
He noted that any distribution to the relevant agencies involved in recoveries must be authorised by the President and requires the approval of both the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.
In another report, President Bola Tinubu has explained that the tax reform bills are targeted at providing relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet.
Tinubu also explained that the four bills will unify Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.
Naijaonpoint reports that the President made the declaration in a personally signed statement released via his 𝕏 account in which he justified the decision to sign and implement the tax reform bills.
The four bills – the Nigeria Tax Bill (Fair Taxation), Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, had earlier been passed by the National Assembly.
President Tinubu said he is signing the bills to lay the foundation for a fair, transparent, and modernized tax regime in Nigeria. He added that the new tax regime would reward enterprise, protect the vulnerable, and mobilize revenue without punishing productivity.