On Wednesday, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) obtained an order from the Federal High Court in Lagos, securing the final forfeiture of 111 vehicles and motorcycles allegedly abandoned by drug dealers. Justice Ayokunle Faji granted the orders after considering submissions from the NDLEA’s counsel, Abu Ibrahim.
The court’s decision included directing the agency to sell the forfeited vehicles and remit the proceeds to the Federal Government. Abu Ibrahim presented the case for final forfeiture under various legal provisions, including Sections 44 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Altered), and Section 3 (1)(a)(c) of the NDLEA Act N.30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Additionally, the request was made under Sections 10 (1), (2)(3), 11, 13, 17 (1)(4) of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, along with the court’s inherent jurisdiction and Section 6 (6) (a) of the 1999 Constitution.
The grounds for the final forfeiture included the fact that none of the vehicles had attracted any ownership claims, and they were now in various states of disrepair. With the court’s decision, the NDLEA aims to take a significant step in managing the assets seized from alleged drug dealers, serving justice and contributing to the fight against drug-related crimes.
