Afolabi Kazeem Michael, the businessman and social media influencer popularly known as KC Luxury, has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to withdraw Justice Musa Kakaki from his ongoing trial over alleged cocaine trafficking and money laundering.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kazeem’s lawyer, Emefo Etudo, made the request on Monday, November 2, 2026, citing alleged irregularities in the court records and the disappearance of a defence affidavit.
At the resumed proceedings, Etudo told the court that the record of proceedings did not reflect the ruling delivered on October 28, 2026, on his client’s application for bail on medical grounds.
He said repeated efforts to obtain a copy of the ruling from the court registry had been unsuccessful, adding that officials informed the defence that the judge had yet to sign the document.
The lawyer expressed concern that the delay could affect his client’s right to appeal within the stipulated period.
He also alleged that a reply affidavit filed by the defence had gone missing, questioning the safety of documents submitted to the court.
Etudo said, “The record of proceedings did not reflect that any ruling was made on October 28, 2026, by this honourable court. And we don’t feel so safe that our evidence, like the reply affidavit that got missing, is safe in the court.”
The defence lawyer further argued that the absence of adequate recording facilities at the Federal High Court made it difficult to ensure that statements and decisions during proceedings were accurately documented.
He maintained that his client had lost confidence in the court and wanted the judge to recuse himself from the case.
However, prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Abu, opposed the request, arguing that the denial of bail did not amount to judicial bias.
Abu said the prosecution was prepared to commence the trial and had brought six witnesses to court.
He also questioned the absence of the first defendant, noting that the defence had not explained why Kazeem was not present.
The prosecutor maintained that the defence could appeal the bail ruling or file another application rather than seek the judge’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Augustine Audu, SAN, counsel to the second defendant, urged the court to separate the charges against his client and the third defendant from those involving KC Luxury.
Audu argued that the continued absence of the first defendant and the pending application were delaying proceedings and preventing the other defendants from taking steps to defend themselves.
He also urged the court to consider bail for the second and third defendants, insisting that they should not remain in custody because of proceedings involving another defendant.
KC Luxury and two others are facing a 22-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) bordering on conspiracy, cocaine trafficking, unlawful exportation of narcotics and money laundering.
The agency accused them of involvement in the alleged trafficking and attempted export of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at about N39 billion, to the United Kingdom.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
KC Luxury has also been absent from recent court proceedings over his reported deteriorating health condition. On October 23, he was brought to court in an ambulance while receiving oxygen.
A nurse from the Police Hospital, Falomo, Lagos, had told the court that he was diagnosed with asthma and sepsis and could not be moved into the courtroom because he was on oxygen support.
