Friday, September 25, 2026

NDLEA arraigns KC Luxury, two others over 184.5kg cocaine trafficking, money laundering

The court ordered the defendants to be remanded in an NDLEA facility and adjourned the matter until October 4, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application.

and • September 25, 2026

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned luxury goods dealer and lifestyle influencer, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, and two others over alleged cocaine trafficking and money laundering.

In a statement on Friday, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesman, said Mr Michael was arraigned alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

He said the suspects were charged on a 22-count bordering on cocaine trafficking, illegal export of narcotics and money laundering.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them.

The suspects were accused of conspiring between 28th July and 1st August 2026 to export 184.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in five consignments through a Lagos-based courier logistics firm to London, United Kingdom.

Other counts detailed how Mr Boniface procured Mr Patriarch to facilitate the export, while Mr Michael was accused of procuring a staff member of BOT Express Logistics on Lagos Island to process the illicit consignment, and of unlawfully possessing the cocaine ahead of export.

The charge sheet further linked Mr Michael to the payment of ₦13.2 million from a Mallamawa Ventures Zenith Bank account to BOT Express Logistics as consideration for the shipment.

Sixteen of the counts relate to alleged money laundering, with the NDLEA accusing Mr Michael of moving billions of naira through several companies and personal accounts.

The agency alleged that the funds were used, among other things, to acquire vehicles and landed properties in an attempt to conceal their alleged illicit origin.

Mr Michael was also accused of failing to declare his assets to the agency as required by law.

During Friday’s proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor Abu Ibrahim opposed the defendants’ bail application and urged the court to remand them in custody pending trial, citing the gravity of the alleged offences.

The court ordered the defendants to be remanded in the agency’s facility and adjourned the matter until October 4, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application.

The NDLEA said Mr Michael, who also uses the aliases KayCee Luxury, KayCee Lux, KC, Mr Luxury and Yemi Ejide, was arrested on August 13 while allegedly attempting to leave Nigeria on a business-class flight to Paris from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The agency said his arrest followed the interception of the 184.5kg cocaine consignment, which it estimated to be worth about N39 billion.

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