Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of a property allegedly used for storing and warehousing 37.7 tonnes of cough syrup containing codeine to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The forfeited house comprises four (4) three-bedroom flats and one (1) four-bedroom duplex, situated at No. 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace, Okota, Lagos.
Justice Aluko made the final forfeiture of the house today, while granting a motion marked FHC/LAG/MISC/1177/2026, filed and moved by Buhari S. Abdullahi, lawyer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The only respondent in the suit was one Chidozie Francis Orji, alleged to be involved in an organised network of illicit drug trafficking and who had evaded arrest in connection.
Orji is also said to be on NDLEA’s wanted list in connection with the ongoing investigation on the prohibited drugs. The anti-narcotic agency is taking lawful steps to secure his arrest and prosecute him in accordance with the law.
Justice Aluko had, on September 3, 2026, made an interim Forfeiture order on the property and directed the NDLEA to publish the interim order in a national newspaper.
In a motion on notice, the NDLEA sought an order of final forfeiture of the house, alleging that it was used as an instrumentality for storing 37,760 Kilogrames of cough syrup containing codeine, a narcotic substance.
The agency also said the motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the said property was pursuant to sections 44(2)(b), 6 (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 Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N30 LFN 2004 (as Amended), Sections 4 (b)(c), 5, 27(8)(1) a (17)(1) & 4, 19 (1)(a)(b)(c), 3 and Section 21(1) of the Proceeds of Crimes Recovery and Management Act 2022 and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
In a 34 paragraph-affidavit in support of the motion, deposed to by Ibrahim Alli Bika, a Deputy Commander of Narcotics, the agency stated that it received credible intelligence in late July 2026 that Orji was keeping a large consignment of codeine-containing cough syrup at the property for illicit distribution.
Bika also stated that surveillance and preliminary investigations corroborated the intelligence. Adding that on August 7, 2026, he led a team of officers to search the property, where the drug was recovered as an abandoned seizure, as Orji was absent and could not be apprehended.
The deponent also stated that between April 15 and 17, 2026, NDLEA recovered about 190.9 tonnes of codeine-containing cough syrup and one tonne of tramadol from two warehouses in the Ago Palace area, allegedly linked to the respondent.
Bika stated that investigations traced ownership of the property to Orji through a deed of assignment and payment receipts obtained from its previous owner, Barrister Basun Kenneth Fabiyi.
The deponent further stated that the property was sealed on August 7, 2026, and that a newspaper publication was subsequently made to notify interested parties.
Upon moving the motion on notice, NDLEA’s lawyer, Abdullahi urged the court to grant the final forfeiture in the interest of justice, pursuant to relevant provisions of the NDLEA Act and the Proceeds of Crimes Recovery and Management Act, 2022.
Justice Aluko, after listening to the NDLEA’s lawyer’s submission and after citing a series of legal authorities, held that the application has merit and ordered the final forfeiture of the property.
