Tsoho Seeks Stronger Court, NDLEA Collaboration To Crush Drug Cartels

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has called for stronger collaboration between the judiciary, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement agencies to tackle the growing sophistication of drug-related crimes in Nigeria.

Tsoho said effective cooperation among the institutions would strengthen Nigeria’s fight against organised crime and improve the country’s standing in the international community.

The Chief Judge made the call in Abuja on Wednesday in a goodwill message delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo at an advanced capacity-building programme organised by the NDLEA on financial investigations, asset tracing, forfeiture and recovery of proceeds from narcotics trafficking and related organised crimes.

Tsoho commended the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), for what he described as his commendable strides since assuming office.

According to him, the training programme was designed to strengthen institutional capacity in financial investigation, asset tracing, recovery and management of proceeds and instrumentalities of narcotics trafficking, including cryptocurrency-enabled money laundering.

He said the subject matter demonstrated the extensive and multifaceted nature of drug crimes and their expanding frontiers, which required sophisticated law enforcement responses.

“His Lordship appreciates and commends you, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, for your commendable strides since the assumption of office as the Chairman and Chief Executive.

“His Lordship believes that collaboration between the Federal High Court and law enforcement agencies, especially the NDLEA, will put this nation on a proper spotlight when it comes to law enforcement in the international circle,” the statement said.

Speaking earlier, Marwa charged NDLEA investigators and prosecutors to go beyond arresting drug traffickers and seizing narcotics by targeting the financial structures sustaining the criminal enterprises.

Marwa said the agency must intensify efforts to trace, seize and recover the proceeds and instrumentalities of drug trafficking, stressing that arrests and drug seizures alone would not end the activities of powerful cartels.

“If we arrest the courier but leave the financier untouched, seize the drugs but allow the proceeds to remain with the criminal enterprise, or secure a conviction without recovering the illicit wealth, we have addressed only part of the problem,” he said.

The NDLEA boss said drug trafficking should be treated fundamentally as an economic enterprise sustained by financiers, facilitators, money launderers and other professional enablers.

He noted that criminal organisations were increasingly deploying technology, cryptocurrencies, complex corporate structures and legitimate businesses to conceal the ownership and origins of illicit wealth.

Marwa therefore urged investigators and prosecutors to develop the capacity to analyse complex financial transactions, trace assets across borders, establish beneficial ownership, exploit digital evidence and build strong financial cases capable of supporting forfeiture and recovery.

He said the agency’s next priority, following its progress in narcotics seizures and prosecution of traffickers, was to dismantle the economic foundations of the drug trade and make trafficking a “high-risk, low-profit enterprise.”

“The sophistication of organised crime demands a corresponding sophistication in our response.

“We must move from crime detection to crime disruption; from arresting offenders to dismantling criminal enterprises; and from confiscating drugs to depriving traffickers of the wealth that motivates and sustains their activities,” Marwa said.

He also called for stronger collaboration among the NDLEA’s intelligence, investigation, prosecution, forensic, asset and financial investigation directorates, saying they must operate as interconnected parts of a single enforcement chain.

Marwa said the agency would also require stronger cooperation with other institutions because no single law enforcement body possessed all the information, expertise and capacity needed to dismantle sophisticated criminal networks.

The training brought together officials and experts from the NDLEA, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit and the Federal High Court.

Marwa warned that asset recovery should not end with seizure or forfeiture, noting that poor management and lack of transparency could reduce the value of recovered assets and undermine public confidence.

He urged participants to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the process, from seizure and forfeiture to management and eventual realisation of recovered assets.

The NDLEA chairman expressed confidence that the programme would equip participants with the skills to “follow the money,” identify hidden assets, strengthen evidence, secure forfeiture and ultimately deprive drug traffickers and organised criminal networks of the wealth sustaining their operations.