Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala of a Lagos Federal High Court, has ordered final forfeiture of a landed property, vehicles and others household items, said to be proceeds of drug trafficking.
The landed property is situated at 16, Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, while the vehicles include; Blue Colour Toyota Sienna Chassis number STDBA23C768059415 with plate number KJA 79 HJ; White Colour Volkswagen Delivery Van with plate number AAA 525 JE; Ash Colour KIA Ceranto Car Chassis number KNEFU4118B5360087 with plate number BOG 860 6Q; Black Colour Land Cruiser Prado JTIBT20X030022171 with plate number AKD 472 DZ and Red Colour Grand Caravan Dodge plate number APP 847 YF.
Other items finally forfeited by the judge are; 13 Fridges; 70 Air Conditioners and 84 televisions.
Justice Kala made the final forfeiture order of the above listed-items, after taking submission of the Barrister Buhari Abdulahi, lawyer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a suite marked FHC/L/MISC/447/25.
The NDLEA lawyer had informed the court that the Motion for the final forfeiture order was pursuant to Sections 44(2)(b), 6 (b) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Sections 3 (1) (a),(b) & (c), 31(a), 32 (c) & 41(b) (iv) of the National Drug Enforcement Agency Act Cap. 30 2004 (as amended); Sections 4 (b)(c), 5(2), 7, 8(1) (a), 17 (1)(4), 19 (1)(a)( b)( c ) and 21 (1)(2) of the proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management Act) 2022 and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
Buhari had told the court that the landed property and other items sought to be finally forfeited were ‘used as an instrumentality for committing drug offence and recovered as proceeds of drug offence’.
He also told the court that the motion is supported with a 29 paragraph-affidavit, deposed to by one Nasir Garba Bungudu, Deputy Commander of Narcotics with NDLEA, written address and some documentary exhibits.
Specifically, some of the aveerments in the affidavit read: “that sometime in April, 2025, we received credible information on activities of one Drug Trafficking Organization that specializes in importation, exportation and distribution of large consignment of Canadian Loud a strain of Cannabis Sativa as well as financing other drug trafficking activities within and outside Nigeria.
“That we carried out series of surveillance on the Drug Trafficking Organization and discovered among others some of its members and operating base, storage facility.
“That we were able to identify the Organization’s base located at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Logos used as an instrumentality for committing all sort of drug offences.
“That the said landed property used as a base for the Drug Trafficking Organization as well as instrumentality in the commission of drug offence has five storey building housing 80 hote! rooms which 1s at its advanced stage of completion.
“That the Drug Trafficking Organization is headed by one notorious drug baron known as Noble Phillip who also happens to be the owner of the five storey building disguised to be a hotel.
“That following series of surveillance, on the 25th April, 20225 our operatives raided the said building which resulted in the recovery of 586 parcels of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 415.5 Kilograms with estimated value of one billion naira (N1 billion) and seizure of five vehicles, 84 Air Conditioners and 13 Fridges for asset investigation purposes.
“That however during the operation the Drug Trafficking Organization’s kingpin called Noble Phillip escaped arrest but some people were arrested at the scene and investigation has already commenced to unravel level of their complicity in the illicit drug trading.
“That further search in the owner of the building/hotel and the drug Kingpin’s apartment within the hotel led to the recovery of more quantity of the Canadian lound (cannabis sativa).
“Also search in one of the hotel’s room used by fugitive drug trafficking associate led to the recovery of another consignment of cannabis sativa.
“That the investigation into the landed property sought to be forfeited established its ownership to be of the drug kingpin Noble Phillip who is now at large and it was being used by him as a base for illicit drug activities and instrumentality for commission of drug offences.
“That on the 8th May, 2025, following an order preserving and attaching those properties sought to be forfeited finally, this Honorable Court ordered the Applicant to publish and advertise the said properties for the purpose of bring the attention of general public either to enable third party claim or to assist the Applicant trace the actual owners of the vehicles or provide information on the subjects of the application.
“That the Applicant in compliance with the Court directive as stated in paragraph 21 above, made publication and advertisement on the Daily Sun of Monday 19th May, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 57/58 @ page 5 which is a national daily newspaper and widely read, The copy of the publication and advertisement is hereby attached and marked as Exhibit NDLEA 1.
“That the recovered substance was tested and proved positive to cannabis sativa. The Drug Analysis Report bearing the name of the Drug Trafficking Organization named Ayitu Eze and hereby attached and marked as Exhibit NDLEA 2.
“That during the operation and in the course of searching the head of drug organization’s apartment inside No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, we recovered the land Certificate and other titled document of the said property sought to be forfeited bearing the name of drug baron’s name Noble Phillips. The titled documents are hereby attached and together marked as Exhibit NDLEA 3.
“That also recovered from the apartment of the owner of the said landed and owner of the recovered drug exhibit was his ECOWAS International Passport bearing his name Noble Phillips.
“That where nobody comes forward within the period to be specified by the order of this court, the Applicant will apply that a final forfeiture order be made in respect of same properties contained on the Motion Paper.
“That Ayitu Eze a member of the drug trafficking organization and close ally to the owner of those properties sought to be forfeited finally who disguised to be a receptionist at the Caesar Hotel and The Hook Lounge operated inside the landed property sought to be forfeited at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos Eze Ayitu was charged via Charge No. FHC/L/541c/2025, FRN V. AYITU EZE for an of fence of unlawful dealing in 415.4 kilograms of Canadian Loud strain of cannabis sativa recovered from the landed property sought to be forfeited located at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Earle Femi Pearce Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“That the drug cartel member mentioned above was on the 2nd July, 2025 convicted and sentenced to five (5) years term of imprisonment with a option of fine of N1 million with six months community service in Charge No. FHC/L/541c/2025, FRN V. AYITU EZE, following his plea of guilty to the offence of unlawful drug dealing in 415.4 kilograms of Canadian Loud Strain of cannabis sativa recovered from the landed property sought to be forfeited at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street Off Elsie Femi Pearse Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.”
Justice Kala after listening to the submissions made by the NDLEA lawyer and perused all the exhibits tendered and the legal authorites cited, ordered that the landed property and other items listed below forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.
