The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday refused to grant bail to businessman and social media influencer, Afolabi Kazeem, popularly known as KC Luxury, who is standing trial over alleged 184.5kg cocaine trafficking and money laundering.
Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the defence had failed to establish special circumstances to justify granting bail on medical grounds, noting that the application lacked sufficient medical evidence.
“There is no medical certificate to warrant the court to grant him bail,” the judge said.
Kakaki held that a defendant seeking bail on health grounds must provide credible medical evidence, including an expert assessment explaining the nature and severity of the illness.
The judge, however, directed the Ikoyi Custodial Centre to grant Kazeem unrestricted access to doctors and medical specialists for treatment of any health condition. He also ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
At the previous proceedings on Friday, Kazeem was brought to the court premises in an ambulance while receiving oxygen.
His counsel, Emefo Etudo, had urged the court to grant him bail to enable him to receive specialised treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), arguing that his health had deteriorated following the collapse of his lungs, as reportedly disclosed by the Police Hospital, Falomo.
Opposing the application, prosecution counsel, Abu Ibrahim, argued that the medical evidence presented by the defence was insufficient to warrant the defendant’s release.
Ibrahim maintained that the ailment cited in the application was the same asthma previously presented before the court, adding that the defence had not provided medical evidence from LUTH indicating that Kazeem’s condition could not be managed at his current facility.
In his ruling, Kakaki said he had reviewed the bail application, previous court records and submissions from both parties.
He also examined medical exhibits submitted by the defence, including photographs showing an individual receiving treatment in a hospital bed, but said they did not establish that Kazeem had an untreated medical condition requiring his release.
The judge recalled that, in an October 2 ruling, the court had noted a medical officer’s recommendation that Kazeem be examined by a consultant respiratory physician or pulmonologist to assess his condition and optimise his treatment.
According to Kakaki, the recommendation did not establish that the defendant was suffering from an illness that could not be treated while in custody.
He further held that the defence had failed to demonstrate any change in circumstances to justify a fresh bail application, recalling that the court ordered Kazeem’s remand in a custodial centre on October 16.
“There is inability to show special circumstances to warrant bail. I hereby discountenance it in the present application,” the judge said.
Kakaki subsequently refused the application and directed the correctional authorities to ensure that the defendant received necessary medical attention.
Kazeem is standing trial alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch over alleged cocaine trafficking involving 184.5kg of the substance and money laundering.
The court adjourned the case until November 2, 2026, for the commencement of trial.