THE NATIONAL Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday auctioned properties and assets forfeited by drug cartels, valued at millions of naira.
Speaking during the bidding process in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, expressed the agency’s satisfaction with the process, emphasising that the proceeds would serve as a deterrent to drug traffickers.
Marwa gave an assurance that the auction was conducted transparently and strictly on merit.
He encouraged bidders to participate actively, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to fairness and accountability.
Sharing a personal experience, he recounted how a friend’s representative was misled during a bidding process in a government ministry.
He said such malpractice would not occur in NDLEA’s auction.
“The agency has been at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria, and has recorded several successes in recent times.
“This exercise is part of the NDLEA’s efforts to dismantle the financial empire of drug traffickers and to disrupt their networks.
“We believe the leading problem in the country, in our own opinion and the opinion of many, is drug abuse.
“And in the past, as we all know, when you make arrests of the traffickers and get convictions, they don’t feel too bad because after the conviction, they will become free and their assets are waiting for them.
“Their money, their bank accounts, their houses, and so on and so forth.
“But now that’s not the case. Once you are in, you know that there are no assets that are going to wait for you after your period in jail.
“And so these are the assets that have been forfeited from these criminals, and I hope they are all going to be snapped away today,”he said.
The NDLEA chairman noted that the agency was committed to ensuring that convicted traffickers did not benefit from their illegal activities.
Marwa said that the forfeited assets would be sold to the highest bidder, adding that the proceeds would be used to support the agency’s operations.
He, however, commended the bidders for participating in the auction, saying that their presence was a testament to the agency’s transparency and accountability.
“I want to assure you that we are transparent here. No games in NDLEA. Everything is done on merit. We wish you all the very best,” Marwa said.
Mrs Grace Orieoma, Director of the Proceeds and Crime Department at ICPC, described the NDLEA’s public auction of forfeited assets from convicted drug traffickers as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
Orieoma commended the NDLEA for its unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability, ensuring that the auction process remained open, fair, and free from corruption.
She noted that beyond depriving convicted traffickers of their illicit gains, the agency was also generating revenue for the government.
“This initiative is a testament to the NDLEA’s dedication to disrupting the financial networks of drug traffickers and dismantling their empires,” she said.
In his remarks, Chief Iyke Nwoko, the immediate past National Treasurer of the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers, called for a review of the valuation process.
Nwoko expressed concerns that the government’s valuation of items was too high, making it difficult for bidders to meet the set prices.
He pointed out that, in some cases, the government’s valuation exceeded the actual cost of constructing the properties, creating challenges for potential buyers.
“For instance, if it costs N3 million to set up a structure, the Ministry of Works will value it at either N6 million or N7 million. This makes it difficult for people to bid.
“We advise the government to review the valuation process, taking into account the actual cost of setting up the structure, to make it easier for bidders to participate,” he said.
Nwoko, however, commended the transparency of the auction process, stating that the highest bidder always emerged, and the process was fair and free from compromise.
Other observers from the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) praised the NDLEA for its transparency, urging the agency to continue its good work.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the properties are located in Lagos, Ogun, Akure and Abuja. (NAN)
