The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a four-bedroom duplex in Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki Phase 1, to the Federal Government. Justice Alexander Owoeye delivered the ruling after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) proved that the property was used as a base for smuggling and distributing “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis sativa, into Nigeria. The house was traced to a Canada-based drug baron who allegedly coordinated the illegal trade.
Counsel to the NDLEA, Mr. Buhari Abdulahi, told the court that an interim forfeiture order had earlier been granted and published in national newspapers, yet no one came forward to claim ownership or contest the agency’s findings. He urged the court to grant a final order, citing the NDLEA Act, which allows confiscation of assets used in drug-related offences. Justice Owoeye agreed, ruling that the property and its contents were proceeds of crime and should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
According to an affidavit by NDLEA officer Nasir Garba Bungudu, the agency uncovered the syndicate’s operations in 2023 through intelligence reports. The Lekki property was identified as a coordination hub for storing, financing, and distributing hard drugs smuggled from Canada. A raid conducted in February 2023 led to the seizure of 1.088 kilograms of Canadian Loud and the arrest of five suspects linked to the operation.
Four of the suspects were later convicted for drug trafficking, while another, alongside a company, Femaffix Global Services Limited, remains on trial. The alleged mastermind, identified as Adebanjo, is still at large. The court concluded that the NDLEA had provided sufficient and uncontested evidence and declared the Lekki mansion permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
