A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed an application filed by socialite Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, challenging an order extending his detention over his alleged involvement in the trafficking of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Justice Akintayo Aluko, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, upheld the 30-day detention extension granted on August 20, 2026, holding that the order was validly made and supported by both the Constitution and relevant provisions of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act.
KC Luxury, through his counsel Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, had urged the court to set aside the detention order, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to extend his detention.
The defence contended that remand orders could only be issued by a magistrate’s court under Sections 293 to 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and maintained that the continued detention violated his constitutional right to personal liberty.
However, NDLEA counsel Abu Ibrahim argued that the August 20 order was not a remand order under the ACJA but a lawful extension of detention granted to enable investigators complete inquiries into the alleged drug trafficking offence.
In his judgment, Justice Aluko held that the ACJA provisions relied upon by the applicant did not apply to the case. He ruled that the Federal High Court possesses exclusive jurisdiction over drug-related offences under Section 251(1)(m) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 26(1) of the NDLEA Act.
The court further found that the NDLEA had placed sufficient material before it to establish reasonable suspicion linking KC Luxury to a drug-related offence, making the temporary deprivation of his liberty permissible under Section 35 of the Constitution pending the conclusion of investigations.
Justice Aluko consequently dismissed the application, describing it as lacking in merit and an abuse of court process.
KC Luxury was arrested by NDLEA operatives on August 13, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to Paris, France. The anti-narcotics agency subsequently linked him to the seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine, prompting the ongoing investigation.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
