Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed an application by socialite and businessman Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, challenging the 30-day order permitting the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to keep him in custody over his alleged involvement in the trafficking of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Akintayo Aluko, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, upheld the detention extension granted on August 20, 2026, finding that it was validly made under the Constitution and relevant drug-control laws.
KC Luxury had approached the court seeking to set aside the detention order, with his lawyer, Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, SAN, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to issue the order.
The defence relied on Sections 293 to 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), arguing that the provisions governing remand did not permit a suspect to be detained for more than 14 days in the first instance without a formal charge.
The NDLEA opposed the application, maintaining that the order obtained on August 20 was not a remand order under the ACJA but an extension of detention granted to allow the agency to continue investigating the alleged drug-trafficking offence.
Justice Aluko agreed with the agency, holding that the ACJA provisions relied upon by the defence did not apply to the detention order. The judge further held that the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction over drug-related matters under Section 251(1)(m) of the Constitution and Section 26(1) of the NDLEA Act.
The court also found that the NDLEA had presented sufficient evidence to establish reasonable suspicion of a drug-related offence, providing a legal basis for the temporary deprivation of KC Luxury’s liberty.
KC Luxury was arrested by NDLEA operatives on August 13 at the departure area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while allegedly preparing to travel to Paris. His arrest followed the agency’s seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine at a DHL facility in Ikeja on August 3.
The NDLEA valued the seized cocaine at about N39 billion and described it as the agency’s largest cocaine interception through a courier company. The agency alleged that the shipment was connected to an international trafficking network moving cocaine from South America through Nigeria to destinations in Europe and Asia.
The agency has also alleged that KC Luxury was linked to the shipment and described him as the alleged Nigerian “arrowhead” of the network. He has not been convicted of the allegations and remains presumed innocent unless found guilty by a court.
The 30-day detention order also included an interim order preserving funds in accounts linked to his Bank Verification Number (BVN), pending the conclusion of the investigation and/or prosecution.
In dismissing the latest application, Justice Aluko left the August 20 detention extension in force, allowing the NDLEA to continue its investigation.
