Drug Trafficking: Court Orders Forfeiture Of Lagos Property To Government

Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of a property in Lagos, along with other items identified as instruments used in an illegal drug trade, to the Federal Government.

Justice Owoeye ordered that the government take over the property at Block 11, House 2, Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki Phase 1, after deciding that it was the proceeds of unlawful activities.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) applied for final forfeiture through Buhari Abdulahi, one of its lawyers.

The NDLEA had claimed in an affidavit attached to the application that the property was owned by an alleged drug trafficking kingpin, Femi Adebanjo, who is currently based in Canada.

The agency had alleged that the property was being used as the operational base for his illicit drug activities.

During the hearing, Abdulahi informed Justice Owoeye that following an initial order from the court dated March 20, 2024, and in compliance with the court’s directive, the NDLEA published details of the property in the Daily Sun Newspaper on May 20, 2024 (page 8). Still, no one came forward to claim ownership.

The lawyer further stated that after a renewal order issued by the court on July 1, 2025, the NDLEA republished the details in the Vanguard Newspaper on August 1, 2025 (Volume 41, No. 10,640, page 7), inviting any interested party to show cause why a final order of forfeiture should not be granted.

Again, no one came forward to make a claim or explain.

Having fully complied with the court’s order, Abdulahi urged the court to grant a final forfeiture order for the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria, per the law that empowers the anti-narcotics agency to seize all instrumentalities used in committing drug offences.

After reviewing Abdulahi’s submission and the documents filed before him, Justice Owoeye granted the final forfeiture order for the property and other items used in committing drug offences.

Also in the affidavit sworn to by a Deputy Commander of Narcotics and Deputy Commander of Asset and Financial Investigation in the Lagos Strategic Command of the NDLEA, Nasir Bungudu, the agency stated that in 2023, the NDLEA received confidential information about a drug trafficking organisation involved in the importation of Canadian Loud (a strain of high-grade cannabis sativa) from Canada into Nigeria.

Bungudu indicated that investigations revealed that the organisation used the property as a storage, distribution, and sales base for the illicit drug, as well as for financing drug trafficking activities both within and outside Nigeria.

He noted that operatives from the anti-narcotic agency conducted a series of surveillance operations, identifying the organisation’s members, their operational base, and the drug storage facility, confirming that the property was implicated in various drug offences.

The operative averred, “Furthermore, the investigation established that the drug trafficking organisation was led by one Femi Adebanjo, a notorious drug baron residing in Canada, who coordinated the export of illicit drugs from Canada to Nigeria.

“Femi Adebanjo had purchased this operational base and provided accommodation for his associates, including Ekwejunor Oritsematosan, who is currently facing trial in Charge No. FHC/L/501C/2023 – FRN vs Ekwejunor Oritsematosan & Anor for drug offences, along with Femaffix Global Services Limited, a company set up to launder proceeds from drug activities.’’