Four drug kingpins have been convicted and sentenced to a combined total of 95 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, for trafficking cocaine and skunk worth over N4.6 billion.
The convicts: Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga, were found guilty of various drug-related offenses following their arrests by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Ogbuji was intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on September 18, 2024, while arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
He was caught importing 817 wraps of cocaine, weighing 19.40 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N4.656 billion.
According to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, this was not his first brush with the law.
The statement revealed that the 48-year-old businessman had previously been arrested on May 10, 2023, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.986kg adding that he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison but opted to pay a fine of N3 million for his release.
Following his latest arrest, Ogbuji was arraigned before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on January 16, 2025.
On February 28, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of a N7 million fine on one count and 10 years without an option of fine on another.
According to the Agency, if he fails to pay the fine, he will serve a total of 15 years, pointing out that the court ordered the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits and items found on him at the time of his arrest.
Also, Iloduba, 51, was arrested on December 31, 2021, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for cocaine trafficking.
He had ingested 58 wraps of the illicit substance, expelling 48 on transit in Addis Ababa and the remaining 10 while in NDLEA custody.
He was arraigned on two counts in charge number FHC/EN/CR/18/2022 before Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu. After three years of prosecution, he was convicted on March 5, 2025, and sentenced to five years on each count, to run concurrently, totaling 10 years.
Isa, 55, and Zurga, 50, were arrested by NDLEA operatives on November 25, 2024, along the Numan-Yola road.
They were caught transporting 500.800kg of skunk concealed in a Toyota Hilux marked Lagos NT 829 AAA and a Prado SUV with a fake presidency number plate, 01B-266 FG.
The duo was arraigned before Justice Bala Usman in charge number FHC/YL/150/2024 and convicted on February 7, 2025.
Each was sentenced to 35 years in prison on two counts, amounting to 70 years combined, or pay a fine of N25 million each.
The court also ordered the interim forfeiture of the two vehicles used in trafficking the illicit drugs.
Reacting to the court rulings, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary and NDLEA officers for their diligence in investigating and prosecuting the cases.
He emphasised that the convictions and forfeitures would serve as a strong deterrent to drug traffickers and strengthen the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug networks across Nigeria.
