Lagos court orders final forfeiture of house allegedly used to store 37.7 tonnes of codeine syrup

Federal High Court judge Akintayo Aluko in Lagos ordered on November 4 the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of a house at No. 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace, Okota, Lagos.

The property and the allegation

The forfeited property comprises four three-bedroom flats and one four-bedroom duplex. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alleged the house was used as an instrument for storing and warehousing 37,760 kilograms of cough syrup containing codeine, a controlled narcotic substance. The only respondent in the suit was Chidozie Francis Orji, alleged to be involved in an organised illicit drug trafficking network and to have evaded arrest.

From interim to final forfeiture

Justice Aluko had made an interim forfeiture order on September 3, 2026, and directed the NDLEA to publish it in a national newspaper. On November 4, after hearing the submissions of NDLEA lawyer Buhari S. Abdullahi and citing a series of legal authorities, the judge held that the application had merit and ordered final forfeiture (motion marked FHC/LAG/MISC/1177/2026).

(Sources: The Moment and NewsDish, November 4, 2026. Cover photo is a file photo of Lagos.)