A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of a landed property and two Mercedes-Benz trucks allegedly used in the trafficking of 91.5 tonnes of narcotic drugs.
Justice Daniel Osiagor, who presided over the matter on Monday, granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The property affected is located at No. 23 Sunny Mbilla East Street, Bucknor Estate, Lagos, while the trucks were allegedly used to transport large quantities of illicit drugs seized at Badagry, Lagos.
In addition to the property and vehicles, the court ordered the interim forfeiture of several items recovered or abandoned during NDLEA operations. These include 390 cartons of Viagra, 178 cartons of Real Extra and Chest and Lungs tablets, 126 buckets of POP paint, 90 cartons of rice sticks, six cartons of vegetable oil, seven cartons of LED bulbs, 47 cartons of manual grinders, a cooking gas cylinder, and a mattress.
The application was filed by Buhari Abdullahi, head of the NDLEA legal department, Lagos State Tactical Command. He told the court that the forfeiture request was brought under relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the NDLEA Act, and the Proceeds of Crimes Recovery and Management Act, 2022.
According to the NDLEA, investigations revealed that the seized property and vehicles were allegedly used for the storage, concealment and distribution of 4.6 tonnes of tramadol and 85 tonnes of codeine-based cough syrup, substances classified as narcotic drugs under Nigerian law.
Abdullahi also urged the court to order the publication of the forfeiture notice in a national newspaper for 14 days, allowing any interested third parties to present claims.
In his ruling, Justice Osiagor held that the application was meritorious and granted all the reliefs sought by the NDLEA, noting that continued retention of the items could lead to decay and loss of value.
The case was adjourned to May 26, 2026, for a progress report.
