We‘ll seize your property, close your account, if we catch you with drugs – Marwa

We‘ll seize your property, close your account, if we catch you with drugs – Marwa

… Says he’ll not talk much on Abba Kyari

Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa has said that the agency has resolved to seize properties of anyone caught with drugs, noting that the person’s bank account would also be closed.

Marwa spoke in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA) in Kaduna. 

He said there is enormous wealth in the hard drug business and that could be why those doing the business could risk going to the prison, knowing that they would come back and meet their money after serving the jail sentence .

“In dealing with drug and its trafficking, you know there’s  huge amount of money in the business. Just a small thing but you see a lot of money. Such is found in different kinds of wealth. “

“So we now decided that in our operation, we will chase the individual and also go after his wealth.

 

“That’s how we work. So it’s not only about Abba Kyari…..whoever we arrest, we confiscate his wealth. We will close his bank account. All his wealth that are proceeds from the drug business, we will seize it.”

“But it is the court that gives the final judgment. If the  property is being forfeited, we are not the ones to sell it. It’s the Minister of Justice that does that according to the law. Then the money will be returned to the Federal Government,” he said. 

Reacting to Abba Kyari’s case, Marwa said he wouldn’t want to talk more on suspended DCP, saying that the matter is before the court. 

“But for one to be caught red handed and you later turn to blame others, there is no sense in doing so,” he said.

Marwa was a former Military Governor in Borno and Lagos state. Since his appointment as Chairman of the NDLEA, the number of drug seizures and high profile arrest of suspects have been unprecedented in recent years.