The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended 48-year-old businessman, Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to import 817 wraps of Class A cocaine.
The drugs, weighing 19.40 kilograms, are estimated to have a street value of N4,656,000,000.
This arrest comes just 16 months after Ogbuji was previously convicted for drug trafficking. In his first arrest, he was caught ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, upon arrival from Uganda on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on May 10, 2023. The total weight of the drugs was 1.986 kilograms.
Following that arrest, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that Ogbuji was arraigned before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon at the Federal High Court 12 in Abuja, under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/192/2023. He was convicted on July 13, 2023, and sentenced to two years in prison with an option of a N3,000,000 fine, which he paid to secure his release. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the seized drugs, Ogbuji’s international passport, 14 US dollars, and 9,000 Uganda shillings.
However, Ogbuji continued his criminal activities, leading to his second arrest on September 18, 2024, at the Lagos airport during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Addis Ababa. According to Babafemi, Ogbuji initially presented a black travelling bag for inspection, which was cleared by an NDLEA operative. But in a deceptive move, he later returned to the carousel to place a black backpack, which he had left behind, into the cleared bag.
As Ogbuji attempted to leave the airport, vigilant NDLEA officers intercepted him and conducted a secondary search. This led to the discovery of 817 large wraps of excreted cocaine concealed inside the backpack, hidden within the travelling bag. The cocaine, weighing 19.40kg, was found to belong to various members of a drug cartel.
During questioning, Ogbuji admitted to leaving the backpack at the carousel to evade detection, assuming there would be no further checks after his initial search. He also revealed that he had procured a new international passport to continue his criminal activities.
Babafemi further disclosed that investigations revealed Ogbuji as a key figure in a network of drug cartels operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and several other West African countries, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire.
