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KC Luxury Remanded After Pleading Not Guilty to 22-Count Drug, Money Laundering Charge

KC Luxury Remanded After Pleading Not Guilty to 22-Count Drug, Money Laundering Charge

Luxury goods dealer and social media personality Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, has been remanded in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after pleading not guilty to a 22-count charge bordering on alleged cocaine trafficking, unlawful export of narcotics and money laundering.

KC Luxury was arraigned alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch before Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.

The three defendants pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them.

Following their pleas, the prosecution asked the court to remand the defendants in NDLEA custody pending the hearing of their bail applications.

Justice Faji granted the request and ordered that the defendants remain in NDLEA custody. The court fixed October 2, 2026, to rule on their bail applications.

The case arose from an alleged 184.5kg cocaine shipment which the NDLEA said was intercepted at a DHL facility in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the prosecution, the cocaine was allegedly packed into five consignments and shipped through a courier logistics company from Lagos to London, United Kingdom.

The alleged offences were said to have occurred between July 28 and August 1, 2026.

The prosecution alleged that KC Luxury, Sule and Ekugo conspired with two other persons, Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat Yusuf, who were reportedly arrested in London in connection with the shipment.

The charge alleged that the consignments were shipped under the name Yemi Ejide and assigned five separate airway bill numbers.

The prosecution further alleged that Sule procured Ekugo to facilitate the shipment, while KC Luxury allegedly arranged for a staff member of BOT Express Logistics to process the consignments.

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The NDLEA also alleged that ₦13.2 million was transferred from a Mallamawa Ventures Zenith Bank account to BOT Express Logistics in connection with the shipment.

Beyond the alleged drug offences, KC Luxury is facing additional allegations relating to money laundering.

The prosecution reportedly alleged that 16 of the counts relate to financial transactions involving several companies and personal bank accounts.

The agency also alleged that billions of naira were moved through various accounts and that some of the funds were used to acquire vehicles and landed properties.

KC Luxury was further accused of allegedly failing to declare certain assets as required by law.

The charges followed the seizure of the alleged 184.5kg of cocaine at the DHL facility in Ikeja.

The NDLEA subsequently arrested KC Luxury on August 13 at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while he was preparing to travel to Paris, France.

The agency had earlier obtained a court order extending his detention for 30 days to allow investigators to complete their investigation.

KC Luxury later challenged the detention in court. However, Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos upheld the detention extension order on September 17, ruling that the order was validly made.

The court also held that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction over drug-related offences and that the NDLEA had presented sufficient material to establish reasonable suspicion of a drug-related offence.

With Friday’s arraignment, the allegations against KC Luxury and the two other defendants have formally moved into the trial process.

The prosecution will be required to present evidence in support of the charges, while the defendants will have the opportunity to challenge the allegations through their legal representatives.

The remand order does not amount to a conviction. KC Luxury, Sule and Ekugo remain presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty by a competent court.

KC Luxury Remanded After Pleading Not Guilty to 22-Count Drug, Money Laundering Charge

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