In brief
Kafolabi Kazeem Micheal, a 49‑year‑old Lagos influencer, was arrested at Murtala Mohammed International Airport when Nigerian customs uncovered a massive cocaine shipment destined for the UK. The seizure, worth nearly $28 million, involved a larger global drug‑trafficking network that has used Nigeria as a transit hub for South‑American cocaine. The authorities highlighted Micheal’s links to the cartel and said he was carrying large sums of cash and valuable jewellery indicating illicit proceeds. A second suspect, former logistics staffer Lawal Mujab Kehinde, was also detained and accused of facilitating the transport. The case underscores the reach of international cooperation in tackling drug smuggling.
Nigeria influencer arrested after seizure of $28m of cocaine destined for the UK
Kafolabi Kazeem Micheal – who brands himself as “KC Luxury” on Instagram – was detained last week at Lagos’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport just as he was about to board a flight to Paris. Sources say authorities seized 184.5 kg of cocaine, a cargo worth nearly $28 million, that was scheduled to be shipped to the United Kingdom.
Micheal, 49, boasts a following of around 700 000 on the platform. Online, he presents himself as a businessman dealing in gold and luxury goods, yet Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alleges that he was the “arrowhead” of a cartel moving drug from South America across Nigeria into Europe and Asia.
While he has not yet commented on the allegations or been formally charged in court, NDLEA officials described his arrest as a decisive counter‑smuggling action. “We apprehended him at the boarding gate as he tried to escape the reach of the law,” said NDLEA chief General Buba Marwa in a press conference.
The agency said Micheal carried over ₦4.5 million in cash across three currencies – euros, pounds and naira – and wore expensive jewellery “consistent with the proceeds of his illicit trade.” A second suspect, 33‑year‑old logistics worker Lawal Mujab Kehinde, was also detained. NDLEA says KEHINDE packaged the cocaine for export and received payment in cash.
Fellow members of the network were reportedly arrested by United Kingdom law‑enforcement agencies, though the BBC has yet to receive a statement from UK authorities. Marwa pledged that Nigerian agencies would continue to track the network, stressing the importance of international collaboration in drug‑trafficking investigations.
