Court denies KC Luxury bail, orders speedy cocaine charges trial

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday refused to grant bail to businessman and social media influencer Kazeem Afolabi, extensively generally known as KC Luxury, over alleged cocaine trafficking and cash laundering, regardless of his lawyer’s considerations about his well being.

Trial choose Musa Kakaki dominated that the defence failed to offer ample medical proof to justify his launch.

“There is no medical certificate to warrant the court to grant him bail,” the choose said.

He directed the Ikoyi Custodial Centre to offer Mr Afolabi unrestricted entry to docs and medical specialists for remedy, however ordered an accelerated listening to of the case.

The trial was adjourned till 2 November.

The ruling adopted a bail utility by Mr Afolabi’s lawyer, Emefo Etudo, who stated his consumer wanted specialised remedy on the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Duroing earlier proceedings on 23 October, Mr Afolabi was dropped at courtroom in an ambulance whereas receiving oxygen. He remained within the automobile as listening to continued.

Bukki Yahya, a nurse on the Police Hospital, Falomo, Lagos, informed the courtroom that Mr Kazeem was admitted on 7 October and recognized with bronchial asthma and sepsis.

Mr Etudo informed the courtroom that his consumer’s situation had deteriorated and alleged that he had suffered a collapsed lung. He stated the Police Hospital referred him to LUTH as a result of it lacked the amenities to deal with him.

The lawyer additionally alleged that Mr Afolabi was taken from LUTH to a custodial centre on 13 October regardless of his situation.

Opposing the applying, prosecution lawyer Abu Ibrahim argued that the medical proof didn’t justify the defendant’s launch.

“Your Lordship looked at the application. The ailment is the same. It is the same asthma. But maybe it has become acute; the character and the ailment are the same,” Mr Ibrahim stated.

He added that the defence had not introduced a medical doc from LUTH displaying that the hospital couldn’t handle Mr Afolabi’s situation.

Reasons for refusal

In his ruling, Mr Kakaki reviewed medical reveals AK5, AK6 and AK8, which contained images of an individual receiving remedy on a hospital mattress.

He additionally referred to his ruling of two October, which famous a medical officer’s suggestion that Mr Afolabi be assessed by a guide respiratory doctor or pulmonologist to guage his situation, optimise his remedy and stop additional acute episodes.

The choose famous that the advice didn’t set up that the defendant had an sickness that would not be managed whereas in custody.

“Having gone through the records of the court and compared the ruling of October 2, 2026, I hereby discountenance all the exhibits,” he stated.

Mr Kakaki questioned the defence’s argument that Mr Afolabi wanted specialised remedy at LUTH.

“Is it not ironic that the facility he said he cannot be treated in is the same LUTH he wants him to go for specialised treatment?” he requested.

He additionally stated the defence had failed to determine any change in circumstances to justify one other bail utility.

“However, changes in the circumstances were not disclosed,” he stated.

The choose recalled that the courtroom had ordered Mr Afolabi’s remand in a custodial centre on 16 October.

“There is inability to show special circumstances to warrant bail. I hereby discountenance it in the present application,” he dominated.

He added that the correctional authorities may prepare for a medical skilled to take care of Mr Afolabi or have interaction his private physician, if obligatory.

“There was nothing stopping the Correctional Centre from calling an expert to attend to the first defendant, or using the first defendant’s doctor if he had one,” the choose stated.

He subsequently refused the applying however directed the custodial authorities to make sure that Mr Afolabi had entry to medical care.

The cocaine case

Mr Afolabi is standing trial alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch on 22 charges of trafficking of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine to the United Kingdom and cash laundering. All three defendants have pleaded not responsible.

READ ALSO: KC Luxury arrives court in ambulance, seeks bail for treatment

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned them on 25 September after seizing 184.5kg of cocaine at a DHL facility inside the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company premises in Ikeja, Lagos, on 3 August.

The company valued the cocaine at about N39 billion and described the seizure as its largest interception by means of a courier firm in Nigeria.

According to the NDLEA, the cocaine was hid in 5 consignments certain for London, with Yemi Ejide listed because the shipper. The company alleged that the defendants labored with Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat Yusuf, who have been arrested in London in reference to the investigation.

The company stated Mr Afolabi was arrested on 13 August on the departure corridor of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos whereas getting ready to journey to Paris.

It additionally accused him of shifting billions of naira by means of firm and private financial institution accounts and utilizing among the funds to accumulate autos and properties linked to the alleged drug commerce.

On 2 October, the courtroom rejected the defendants’ earlier bail purposes, citing the seriousness of the charges, the doable penalties and the chance that they could abscond.

Mr Afolabi denied all of the charges.