- Safiu Kehinde
Embattled Nigerian businessman and influencer, Afolabi Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged cocaine trafficking and money laundering charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NPO Reported that Afolabi was on the 13th of August 2026 arrested alongside one Yemi Ejide by the NDLEA while allegedly attempting to leave Nigeria on a business-class flight to Paris from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
His arrest followed the interception of the 184.5kg cocaine concealed in five consignments, which the NDLEA estimated to be worth about N39 billion.
A subsequent search of his person and his Banana Island apartment allegedly led to the recovery of exotic vehicles, foreign currency and jewelry suspected by the agency to be proceeds of illicit trade.
Sequel to his arrest, the NDLEA, on Friday arraigned Afolabi Kazeem and two other alleged accomplices, Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch, before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki on a 22-count charge bordering on cocaine trafficking, unlawful export of narcotic drugs and money laundering.
They however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In count one, marked FHC/LAG/CR/755/2026, the prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired between 28 July and 1 August 2026 with Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat Yusuf, who had already been arrested in London, to export the cocaine through a Lagos-based courier logistics firm.
The consignments, bearing Airway Bill Numbers 2079998314, 8224082370, 2079973571, 7181131742 and 2211893902, were allegedly shipped under the name Yemi Ejide.
The charge sheet further alleged that Boniface procured Ikechukwu to facilitate the export, while Afolabi allegedly procured a staff member of BOT Express Logistics to process the consignments and unlawfully possessed the cocaine ahead of export.
Afolabi was also accused of paying ₦13.2 million from a Mallamawa Ventures Zenith Bank account to BOT Express Logistics as consideration for the shipment.
Sixteen additional counts relate to alleged money laundering, with the prosecution accusing Afolabi of moving several billions of naira through various companies and personal accounts, including Mallamawa Ventures, Fateey Man Multi-Purpose Nigeria Ltd, Patonifa Ltd, Ade-Lak Resources, Holmestas Global Services Limited and La Capital Enterprises.
The prosecution alleged that the funds were used, among other purposes, to acquire vehicles and landed properties to conceal their purported illicit origin, while Afolabi was also accused of failing to declare his assets as required by law.
Following the businessman’s not-guilty pleas alongside other defendants, NDLEA prosecutor Abu Ibrahim opposed their bail applications and urged the court to remand them in custody pending trial, citing the gravity of the alleged offences.
Justice Faji thereafter ordered that the defendants be remanded in an NDLEA facility and adjourned the matter until 4 October 2026 for ruling on the bail application.
