- A federal high court in Lagos directed NDLEA to produce socialite KayCee Luxury at the next hearing after he was held for over 14 days without a formal charge
- KayCee Luxury was arrested on August 13 at Lagos airport and linked by NDLEA to a 184.5kg coc@ine seizure described as the agency’s largest-ever courier bust
- The socialite is demanding N190 million in damages and seeking return of luxury items he says were seized without justification
A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to bring socialite Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, widely known as KayCee Luxury, before it at the next hearing of his case, after the agency held him for more than 14 days without filing a formal charge.
The order came after KayCee Luxury’s counsel, A. Labi-Lawal, SAN, filed an ex parte application on his behalf under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009.
Source: Twitter
Arrest linked to record c0caine seizure
NDLEA operatives arrested the celebrity jeweller on August 13 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as he was about to board a flight to Paris.
The agency linked him to the seizure of 184.5kg of c0caine, which it described as the largest c0caine bust from a courier company in its history. NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa said KayCee Luxury was allegedly found with €7,750, £2,800, N100,000 and expensive jewellery at the time of his arrest.
A logistics company employee, Lawal Kehinde, was arrested alongside him. The agency described the socialite as the “Nigerian arrowhead” of a cartel allegedly using Nigeria as a transit point for illicit drugs headed to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
What KayCee luxury is claiming
In the court application, his father, Eric Afolabi, who signed the supporting affidavit on his son’s behalf, said KayCee Luxury had been held in NDLEA custody without being told the reason for his arrest or brought before any court.
The socialite alleged that NDLEA operatives searched his Banana Island residence, at Movamo Court, Lagos, without presenting a search warrant, and found nothing incriminating.
He further claimed agents seized his iPhone 15, demanded its password under threat of bodily harm, and that the device contained no material linking him to any drug-related offence.
KayCee Luxury also accused the agency of photographing and filming him in custody and circulating those images publicly, which he argued violated his rights to dignity and privacy before any trial or conviction.
He disclosed that he requires urgent medical attention for acute asthma and said his detention facility cannot adequately provide that care.
Relief sought
KayCee Luxury is asking the court to declare his continued detention unconstitutional, release him immediately or admit him to bail on liberal terms, and return items he says were seized from him.
These include €8,000, £3,000, a Patek Philippe Nautilus wristwatch, an Audemars Piguet wristwatch with three bangles, a Hermès Birkin travel bag, a Louis Vuitton travel box, a Lexus RX350 and a 2024 Toyota Hilux.
He is also seeking N100 million in damages over the circulation of his images, N50 million for alleged unlawful arrest and detention, and N40 million for the alleged invasion of his home and phone.
Presiding judge Friday Ogazi gave the NDLEA five days to respond after being served and ordered the agency to produce the socialite in court at the next hearing. The matter was adjourned to September 9.
NDLEA arrests 101-year-old great-grandmother for selling illicit drugs
Previously, Legit.ng reported that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made a series of major arrests and seizures across Nigeria’s land and maritime borders.
The operations include the detention of a 101-year-old woman caught with cann@bis, the discovery of coc@ine hidden inside a wrap of cassava fufu, and the interception of synthetic cann@bis worth over N4.4 billion at two Lagos ports.
Source: Legit.ng