Nigeria influencer arrested after seizure of cocaine worth $28m destined for the UK

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Nigerian authorities have arrested social media influencer Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, known online as “KC Luxury,” after a cocaine seizure they say was worth nearly $28m and intended for the UK. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said the 49-year-old was detained at Lagos’s airport while preparing to fly to Paris, about 10 days after officers found 184.5kg of cocaine hidden in boxes at a courier facility in Lagos.

The agency alleges Micheal was a senior figure in a wider trafficking network moving drugs from South America through Nigeria to Europe and Asia. According to the report, he had built an online persona as a dealer in gold and luxury goods and had about 700,000 Instagram followers. BBC Africa says he has not responded to the allegations and has not been charged in court.

A second suspect, identified as Lawal Mujab Kehinde, was also detained and is accused by the NDLEA of helping package cocaine for export through a logistics company. BBC Africa reports that officials said other suspected members of the network have been arrested overseas, including in the UK. The case highlights Nigeria’s continued use as a transit point in international drug trafficking, a problem that authorities say requires closer cross-border cooperation.