HURIWA condemns presidential pardon for murderers, hard drug traffickers

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned President Bola Tinubu for granting presidential pardons to hard drug traffickers and murderers.

The group said for the fact that over 60 out of the 175 beneficiaries of the presidential pardons are drug traffickers now explains why President Tinubu rejected a bill to amend the NDLEA Act to grant it funding autonomy.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement yesterday, said President Tinubu has manifested his lacklustre attitudes towards waging an aggressive counter-narcotics war in Nigeria by the recent strange pardons to hard drug traffickers only a few months after he jettisoned a well-researched and highly respected Amendment to the NDLEA Act in June of this year.

Onwubiko described the President’s refusal to sign into law the NDLEA Amendment Bill, 2025, as disingenuous, counterproductive, and a clear contradiction of his professed commitment to fighting drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.

HURIWA said: “President Tinubu’s justification—anchored on a narrow interpretation of financial regulations—lacks moral consistency, especially when compared with his administration’s selective adherence to those same regulations in other sectors of government.”

According to the letter read at the plenary session of the House of Representatives on Thursday, the President declined to assent to the bill on the grounds that it seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds recovered from drug-related crimes. Tinubu argued that all such funds should, by law, be remitted to the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account, with disbursements to any recovery agency—NDLEA inclusive—only permitted upon presidential approval and subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.

However, HURIWA, in a statement, has questioned the sincerity of this logic.

“If the Tinubu administration can look the other way while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, openly violates the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy by keeping back internally generated revenue for arbitrary use—without presidential or legislative scrutiny—then why must NDLEA be shackled under rigid bureaucracy from accessing urgently needed operational funds?” asked Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA.

“It is an insult to national intelligence that political considerations—like the 2027 elections—may be influencing the decision to allow the FCT Administration to withhold public funds from the TSA, yet the same presidency cites ‘financial regulations’ to block NDLEA from retaining a legitimate share of proceeds from the very crimes it battles daily. This is hypocrisy at its worst.”

HURIWA noted that the amended NDLEA bill was passed after rigorous legislative scrutiny in both the Senate and House of Representatives and was designed to give the agency financial autonomy and operational latitude to intensify its war against narcotics. The group argued that denying NDLEA the capacity to retain a portion of recovered criminal proceeds not only weakens the agency but emboldens drug cartels who are constantly adapting with superior funding and international networks.

“Drug trafficking is not just a criminal problem—it’s a national security crisis. It fuels terrorism, funds violent criminal gangs, destabilises communities, and ruins the lives of Nigeria’s youth,” HURIWA said.

The association lauded the groundbreaking strides made by the NDLEA under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), who has transformed the agency into a proactive and globally respected institution. Under Marwa’s leadership, NDLEA has recorded the seizure of thousands of tons of illicit drugs, the arrest and prosecution of high-profile drug barons, and the destruction of several drug trafficking networks. Equally commendable are the agency’s rehabilitation initiatives and mass awareness campaigns which are restoring hope to millions of drug victims across the country.

“The achievements of the NDLEA under President Tinubu’s tenure are some of the few bright spots of this administration. Yet, instead of building on this momentum, Mr. President is placing bureaucratic hurdles in the path of the agency’s success,” HURIWA lamented.

The rights group warned that blocking the NDLEA from accessing a share of recovered proceeds for operational use may lead to severe funding gaps, undermine ongoing investigations, and embolden transnational criminal cartels to regain lost ground. It noted that time-sensitive operations often require instant deployment of resources—resources which cannot wait for months-long bureaucratic approvals from the Federal Executive Council.

“This government must realise that the war on drugs is a war that Nigeria cannot afford to lose. Every delay, every political calculation, and every misplaced priority allows traffickers to regroup and young Nigerians to fall victim,” Onwubiko said.

HURIWA further argued that the retention clause in the NDLEA Amendment Bill is not unique or without precedent. Globally, several anti-narcotics and law enforcement agencies are allowed to retain a percentage of recovered criminal proceeds for the purpose of enhancing operational capabilities. These models of resource retention have been hailed as effective and are supported by international best practices.

“The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), and similar institutions globally operate under funding systems that include the retention of seized criminal proceeds. These mechanisms are built into anti-drug laws to ensure sustained operational efficiency, independence, and speed,” HURIWA emphasised.

The group therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately recall the NDLEA Amendment Bill, review his decision, and give presidential assent without further delay.

“If President Tinubu wishes to be remembered as a leader who fought tirelessly to rid Nigeria of the scourge of hard drugs and protect generations of youth from annihilation, then he must sign the NDLEA bill into law now and without conditions,” HURIWA concluded.

The association also urged the National Assembly to not allow this bill to be buried, but rather re-transmit it with overwhelming public backing and possibly override the President’s veto if he remains obstinate.

“The NDLEA cannot fight billion-dollar cartels with empty hands while politicians stash funds illegally. This bill is a litmus test of President Tinubu’s sincerity on national security and youth development. The time to act is now,” HURIWA said.