Drug trafficking: NDLEA secures final forfeiture of Lagos property

Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of a property located at 14, Okechukwu Madueke Street, Star-Times Estate, Okota, Lagos State, over its alleged link to proceeds of drug trafficking.

The order was made on Thursday in Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/1342/2025, following an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Moving the application, NDLEA counsel Ibrahim Abu, a commander of narcotics, told the court that the motion was brought pursuant to relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022.

He said the application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by Okonkwo Ebuka Anthony, a litigation officer in the NDLEA’s Prosecution and Legal Services Unit at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command.

“The property sought to be forfeited is reasonably believed to have been derived from unlawful activities, to wit: drug trafficking,” Abu submitted.

He further informed the court that an interim preservation order had earlier been granted on December 10, 2025, and published in a national newspaper in compliance with the law.

“The said order was advertised in PUNCH Newspapers of December 18, 2025,” he said. “Since that publication, no individual or entity has come forward to lay claim to or show interest in the property.”

According to him, the absence of any objection or claim reinforced the agency’s position that the property was liable to final forfeiture.

In a supporting affidavit, the dep onent traced the investigation to the arrest of a freight agent on February 10, 2024, with 49.70 kilograms of heroin concealed in cutting machines.

“That in the course of investigation, one Chidibest Ibewuike was identified as a member of the drug trafficking syndicate,” the affidavit stated. “He has since remained at large, and all efforts to apprehend him have proved abortive.”

The affidavit further linked the property to the suspect, noting that “the property is reasonably suspected to belong to the said Chidibest Ibewuike and to have been acquired from proceeds of drug trafficking.”

It added that investigations at the Lagos State Lands Bureau failed to establish registered ownership of the property.

“Investigations at the office of the Registrar of Titles did not reveal the ownership of the property,” the deponent averred. “No objection or interest has been shown by any person since the publication of the interim forfeiture order.”

Granting the application, Justice Kakaki held that the NDLEA had complied with all statutory requirements and established its case on a balance of probabilities.

“The applicant has satisfied the requirements of the law. There being no contest to the interim order and sufficient evidence linking the property to unlawful activities, the application for final forfeiture succeeds,” the judge ruled.

The court consequently ordered that the property be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria as proceeds of drug trafficking.