Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of a four-bedroom duplex with two sitting rooms and boys’ quarters in Lekki, Lagos, to the Federal Government after it was linked to large-scale drug trafficking operations.
The property, located at Block 11, House 2, Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki Phase 1, was declared forfeited following an application filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) through its counsel, Mr. Buhari Abdulahi.
According to the NDLEA, the property was purchased and used by a suspected drug kingpin currently residing in Canada as an operational base for trafficking Canadian Loud — a potent strain of cannabis sativa — into Nigeria.
“The property served as the operational base for Adebanjo’s illicit drug activities,” Abdulahi told the court. “He purchased the house and used it to coordinate the storage, distribution, and sale of hard drugs smuggled into Nigeria from Canada.”
An interim forfeiture order had previously been granted on March 20, 2024, and the details were published in Hobnob News on August 1, 2025, to invite any interested parties to contest the forfeiture. However, no one came forward to claim ownership or provide an explanation.
Justice Owoeye, after reviewing the evidence and NDLEA’s submissions, granted the final forfeiture order, describing the property and its contents as “instruments used in committing drug offences.”
According to an affidavit by NDLEA officer, Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Nasir Garba Bungudu, intelligence gathered in 2023 revealed a syndicate smuggling Canadian Loud from Canada to Nigeria. Surveillance operations led NDLEA operatives to the Lekki residence, where a raid conducted on February 5, 2023, resulted in the recovery of 1.088 kilograms of the substance and the arrest of five suspects.
Four of the suspects were later convicted, while one remains on trial alongside a company linked to the operation.
Bungudu further stated that the ringleader, Adebanjo, who remains at large, used the Lekki property as the syndicate’s coordination hub and laundered proceeds of the illegal trade through a front company.
Justice Owoeye ruled that the property and all items within it are now permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, affirming that the NDLEA followed due process in securing the order.
