Stories by Steve Aya

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of a luxury five-storey building in Victoria Island, Lagos, along with several vehicles and electronics, linked to a large-scale drug trafficking syndicate headed by a fugitive kingpin, Noble Phillip.

Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala gave the ruling following a request by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which described the property and items as proceeds of crime. The forfeited building, located at No. 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, was allegedly disguised as a hotel, and used as a base for illicit drug operations.

The court also forfeited five vehicles, including a Toyota Sienna, Land Cruiser Prado, and a Volkswagen Delivery Van; 84 televisions, 70 air conditioners, and 13 refrigerators. These were said to have been recovered during a raid on April 25, 2025, when NDLEA operatives discovered 586 parcels of Canadian Loud Cannabis weighing over 415 kilograms – with a street value estimated at N1 billion.

According to court documents, the property belongs to Noble Phillip, who escaped during the raid and is still at large. The NDLEA said the cartel operated openly from the property, which houses 80 hotel rooms nearing completion, and used it for storage, packaging, and distribution of narcotics.

A key associate of the fugitive kingpin, Ayitu Eze, was arrested during the operation. He was later convicted on July 2, 2025, and sentenced to five years in prison, with an option of a N1 million fine and six months community service for dealing in cannabis recovered from the same premises.

Justice Kala held that the NDLEA had presented compelling evidence, including title documents, photographs, a published notice for third-party claims, and forensic drug analysis reports. The Judge ruled that there was no dispute over ownership or the criminal use of the property, making final forfeiture to the Federal Government appropriate.

The NDLEA welcomed the judgement, as a major breakthrough in its war against drug trafficking. “This ruling sends a strong signal to organised crime syndicates, that their assets can and will be seized, regardless of how well disguised they are”,  said NDLEA Counsel, Buhari Abdulahi.

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