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The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed an application by Afolabi Michael Kazeem, popularly known as KC Luxury, challenging a 30-day extension of his detention over alleged cocaine trafficking.
Justice Akintayo Aluko, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, upheld the detention order granted on August 20, 2026, holding that it was validly made under the Constitution and relevant drug-control laws.
Kazeem, through his counsel, Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, SAN, had asked the court to set aside the order, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to extend his detention. The defence relied on Sections 293 to 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which provide for remand proceedings.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), through its counsel, Abu Ibrahim, opposed the application, arguing that the disputed order was an extension of detention to allow further investigation and was not a remand order under the ACJA.
Justice Aluko agreed with the NDLEA, ruling that the cited ACJA provisions did not apply to the detention extension. He also held that the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction over drug-related offences under Section 251(1)(m) of the Constitution and Section 26(1) of the NDLEA Act.
The court further found that the NDLEA had presented sufficient evidence to establish reasonable suspicion of a drug-related offence, providing a lawful basis for the temporary deprivation of Kazeem’s liberty under Section 35 of the Constitution.
Kazeem was arrested on August 13, 2026, at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while allegedly attempting to travel to Paris, France.
The NDLEA had linked his arrest to the seizure of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine at a DHL facility in Ikeja, Lagos, alleging that he was connected to the consignment.
The judge consequently dismissed Kazeem’s application as lacking in merit and held that the August 20 detention extension order remained valid, allowing the NDLEA to continue its investigation into the alleged cocaine trafficking.
