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, 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 deponent 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.
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