In brief
Micheal Afolabi Kazeem, 49, a popular Instagram star who marketed gold and luxury goods, was arrested at Lagos Airport after authorities discovered nearly 185 kg of cocaine in his possession. The NDLEA said the drug was destined for the UK, part of a larger South‑American to Europe trafficking network. In addition to the seized cocaine, officials seized more than $12,800 in cash and jewellery with him. A second suspect, logistic worker Lawal Mujab Kehinde, was also detained. The case exemplifies Nigeria’s role as a transit hub for international drug traffic.
Micheal Afolabi Kazeem, 49, a popular Instagram star who branded himself as a gold‑and‑luxury businessman under the moniker “KC Luxury,” was detained at Lagos’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport after authorities seized nearly 185 kg of cocaine destined for the UK.
The Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported that the cocaine, worth about £21 million (≈ $28 million), was hidden in brown boxes at a Lagos courier facility on 3 August. Said NDLEA officials, the drug was part of a long‑running international trafficking network that often uses Nigeria as a transit hub to move drugs into Europe, the UK and Asia.
The arrest followed credible intelligence that Kazeem intended to flee the country on a business‑class flight to Paris. According to NDLEA head General Buba Marwa, operatives apprehended him at the boarding gate before he could escape legal reach.
While in handcuffs, the influencer was found carrying more than $12,840 in cash across three currencies—euros, pounds and naira—along with expensive jewellery, described by the agency as “consistent with the proceeds of his illicit trade.”
A second detainment involved Lawal Mujab Kehinde, a 33‑year‑old logistics employee who allegedly helped pack and pay for the cocaine shipment. Neither Kazeem nor Kehinde have yet been charged or made a public statement.
NDLEA officials confirmed that other suspected members of the network have been apprehended in the UK, and the agency pledged to pursue further offenders. “We will track you to the departure gates if we must,” Marwa added at a Lagos news conference.
