A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to produce Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, the socialite known as ‘KC Luxury’, in court over failure to formally file a charge and arraign him after 14 days in custody.
The order followed an ex parte application filed by Afolabi through his counsel, A. Labi-Lawal, SAN, under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009.
Afolabi was arrested by NDLEA operatives on August 13 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while he was preparing to travel to Paris.
The NDLEA allegedly linked him to the seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine. The agency described the operation as the largest cocaine bust from a courier company in its history.
According to Buba Marwa, the NDLEA chairman, KayCee Luxury was allegedly carrying €7,750, £2,800, N100,000 and expensive jewellery.
The NDLEA said it nabbed him alongside Lawal Kehinde, an employee of a logistics company allegedly connected to the consignment.
The agency added that the investigation indicated that Nigeria was being used as a transit hub for illicit drugs destined for the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
The anti-drug body described the celebrity jeweller as the “Nigerian arrowhead” of the cartel operation.
Since his arrest, there has been no official charge filed against him.
In the application before the court, his father, Eric Afolabi, who deposed to the supporting affidavit on his behalf, alleged that his son had remained in NDLEA custody since his arrest without being informed of the offence for which he was arrested or charged before a court.
