Nigeria influencer arrested after seizure of cocaine worth $28m destined for the UK
By Simi Jolaoso | Africa correspondent, reporting from Lagos | 1 hour ago
Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, aka "KC Luxury", has not commented on the allegations.
A 49‑year‑old Nigerian social media influencer suspected of ties to a global drug‑trafficking network has been detained as authorities seized 184.5 kg of cocaine, valued at nearly $28 million (£21 million), that was slated for shipment to the UK.
Micheal was stopped at Lagos Airport last week while preparing to board a flight to Paris, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The influencer, known as "KC Luxury" to his 700,000 Instagram followers, presents himself online as a businessman dealing in gold and luxury goods. Officials allege he was the Nigerian “arrowhead” of a cartel trafficking cocaine from South America through Nigeria to Europe and Asia.
On 3 August, the NDLEA discovered 184.5 kg of cocaine concealed in brown boxes at a Lagos courier facility, the agency said. The drugs were part of an international network that has used Nigeria as a transit hub for years.
Ten days later, the agency apprehended Micheal at Murtala Mohammed International Airport as he attempted to leave for Paris on a business‑class flight. The NDLEA’s head, General Buba Marwa, said operatives acted decisively at the boarding gate, preventing the suspect from escaping the law.
The arrested influencer was found with more than $12,840 in cash in euros, pounds and naira, as well as expensive jewellery, “consistent with the proceeds of his illicit trade,” the agency added.
A second detained suspect, 33‑year‑old Lawal Mujab Kehinde, allegedly worked for a logistics firm used to transport the cocaine. He is accused of packaging the drugs for export and receiving payment in cash. Kehinde has not commented and has not yet been charged.
NDLEA has confirmed that other suspected members of the network in the UK have also been arrested by foreign law‑enforcement agencies. The agency is pursuing further arrests and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.
"We will track you to the departure gates if we must," Marwa said in a Lagos news conference.
