KC Luxury Asks Court To Set Aside Order Freezing Personal Properties
By Sherif Salau
Social media personality Afolabi Michael Kazeem, better known as KC Luxury, has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside an interim order that froze several of his properties, vehicles and bank accounts. His lawyers argue that the order was granted without giving him a chance to be heard, in breach of his constitutional right to fair hearing.
Kazeem is standing trial alongside two co-defendants, Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch, on a 22-count charge of conspiracy, cocaine trafficking and money laundering. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency alleges that the three were linked to the attempted export of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at roughly ₦39 billion, concealed in consignments bound for the United Kingdom.
On 25 September 2026, Justice Musa Kakaki granted an ex-parte application by the NDLEA and ordered the interim preservation of assets linked to the defendants. The order covers five landed properties, including a residence in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, a property in Lekki Peninsula, two plots in Obalende, and Next Level Hotel & Suites in Egbeda. Also listed are three vehicles a Tesla Cybertruck, a Lexus RX 350 and a Toyota Hilux as well as funds in several bank accounts.
Kazeem’s counsel, Chief Emefo Etudo, told the court that the defence only became aware of the preservation order through a newspaper publication. They contend that no hearing notice was served on their client before the order was made, contrary to Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Relying on established authorities, including the landmark case of Madukolu v. Nkemdilim, the defence argues that the alleged procedural lapse renders the proceedings a nullity and strips the court of jurisdiction.
The application seeks three main reliefs: that the proceedings relating to the property order be struck out for want of jurisdiction, that the 25 September order be vacated, and that the affected assets be released immediately. Defence lawyers further questioned the necessity of freezing non-perishable properties while the criminal trial is still ongoing, insisting that their client remains presumed innocent until proven guilty. They also raised concerns that the NDLEA had begun steps towards selling some of the assets.
During the same proceedings, the court was informed that Kazeem is critically ill. A medical report described him as a 49-year-old man suffering from chronic asthma with recurrent breathlessness, wheezing and chest pain. The defence requested that he be assessed by a consultant respiratory physician.
Justice Kakaki has fixed 3 December 2026 for the hearing of the jurisdictional challenge alongside other pending applications. The criminal trial itself is scheduled to continue on accelerated hearing dates in early November.
The case has drawn public attention both for the scale of the alleged drug consignment and for the high-profile lifestyle associated with KC Luxury. For now, the focus has shifted to a more fundamental question of process: whether a court order that freezes substantial assets can stand when the person affected says he was never given the opportunity to respond.
