theroyaltimes

An Argentine court has sentenced a football supporter to seven years and six months in prison for threatening the family of Ángel Di María in... Read More

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended one of its officers, Deputy Superintendent of Corps Onoja Babayo Samuel, over his alleged involvement... Read More

Nigerians planning to study in the United Kingdom will need to prepare more money for their visa applications as the British government increases the minimum... Read More

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed Nollywood actor Emeka Ike’s N10 billion lawsuit against Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the... Read More

By Ranti Thomas Letters from Arik Air’s former chairman, Sir Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, proposing a settlement of the airline’s debts to the Asset Management Corporation of... Read More

The Federal High Court in Lagos has rejected a fresh bail application by businessman and social media influencer Afolabi Michael Kazeem, popularly known as KC Luxury, over alleged cocaine trafficking and money laundering, ruling that the defence failed to provide sufficient medical evidence to justify his release. Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the ruling on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, while ordering an accelerated hearing of the case involving the alleged trafficking of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine. The judge held that the defence had not established special circumstances to warrant bail on medical grounds, particularly because the application lacked a medical certificate and an expert assessment explaining why Kazeem could not receive treatment while in custody. “There is no medical certificate to warrant the court to grant him bail,” Kakaki said. The court, however, directed the Ikoyi Custodial Centre to ensure that Kazeem had unrestricted access to doctors and medical specialists for any treatment required. Kazeem’s lawyer, Chief Emefo Etudo, had asked the court to release his client so he could receive specialised medical care at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). Etudo argued that Kazeem’s health had deteriorated and raised concerns about a reported collapse of his lungs, which he said was disclosed by the Police Hospital in Falomo, Lagos. The defence had also relied on photographs and other medical-related exhibits to support its application. However, Justice Kakaki said the materials did not provide sufficient grounds for the court to grant bail. In reviewing the evidence, the judge referred to exhibits AK5, AK6 and AK8, which included photographs of a person lying on a hospital bed and receiving treatment. Kakaki also recalled an earlier ruling delivered on October 2, 2026, in which the court noted a recommendation for Kazeem to be examined by a consultant respiratory physician or pulmonologist. The proposed assessment was intended to evaluate his condition, improve his treatment and help prevent further acute episodes. The judge said the recommendation did not, by itself, establish that Kazeem was suffering from an illness that could not be treated while in custody. “Having gone through the records of the court and compared the ruling of October 2, 2026, I hereby discountenance all the exhibits,” the judge said. The court also questioned the defence’s argument that Kazeem required specialised treatment at LUTH, noting that the same hospital was being proposed as the facility where he should receive care if released. The prosecution opposed the bail application. Counsel to the prosecution, Abu Ibrahim, argued that the medical information presented by the defence did not sufficiently justify Kazeem’s release. Ibrahim said the ailment referred to in the application was asthma, although the defence maintained that the condition had become more serious. He also argued that the defence had not presented a medical document from LUTH showing that the hospital could not manage Kazeem’s condition or explaining why release from custody was necessary for treatment. When the matter was called on Wednesday, a correctional officer from the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, Adeleye Akin, informed the court that Kazeem was still at the Police Hospital in Falomo. Justice Kakaki further held that the defence had failed to show a change in circumstances sufficient to justify another bail application. He recalled that the court had ordered Kazeem’s remand in a custodial centre on October 16, 2026. The judge said a person seeking bail on medical grounds must present clear and convincing evidence to show why release is necessary. He added that where specialist care is required, an expert should explain the nature of the illness and the treatment needed. “There was nothing stopping the Correctional Centre from calling an expert to attend to the first defendant, or using the first defendant’s doctor if he had one,” Kakaki said. In refusing the application, the judge directed that the case should proceed without unnecessary delay. He also emphasised that the denial of bail must not prevent Kazeem from receiving appropriate medical attention. The ruling means Kazeem will remain in custody while the criminal proceedings continue, subject to the court’s order granting him access to doctors and medical specialists. Kazeem is standing trial alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch over allegations involving 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and money laundering. The allegations remain before the court, and the defendants have yet to be convicted in the case. Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter until November 2, 2026, for the commencement of trial, with an order that the proceedings be accelerated.... Read More

President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria must turn its ongoing economic reforms into better jobs, higher productivity and improved living standards, stressing that the country’s... Read More

By Ranti Thomas An EFCC prosecution witness has acknowledged in court that Ahmed Kuru, the former Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria... Read More