Taiwo Popoola
Four drug kingpins – Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa, popularly known as Don, and Zidon Zurga – have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison by courts in Lagos, Yola and Adamawa over trafficking of cocaine and skunk worth over N4.6 billion.
This was made known in a statement on Friday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
Babafemi said that Ogbuji was intercepted by operatives of the NDLEA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos on Wednesday 18th September 2024 during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight passengers from Addis Ababa for importing 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40 kilograms with an estimated street value of N4.6 billion.
NDLEA said the development came barely 16 months after the 48-year-old businessman was arrested and convicted for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine.
According to the statement, the convict was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, on Wednesday, 10th May 2023 upon arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951 for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.986kg.
He was subsequently arraigned before Federal High Court 12 Abuja presided over by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon in charge no: FHC/ABJ/CR/192/2023 and convicted on 13th July 2023.
Ogbuji was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of paying a fine of N3 million, which he paid and was set free.
Babafemi said: “Not done with crime, Ogbuji was again arrested at the Lagos airport with the large consignment of cocaine on 18th September 2024, after which he was arraigned before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos in charge number: FHC/L/845C on 16th January 2025.
“He was eventually sentenced on 28th February to five years imprisonment on count one with an option of seven million naira fine and 10 years imprisonment on count two without an option of fine. If he failed to pay the N7million fine, the judge ruled that the convict will serve a total of 15 years in jail consecutively. The court ordered the forfeiture of monetary exhibits and other items found on him at the time of his arrest.
“In his case, 51-year-old Iludoba was arrested by NDLEA operatives on New Year’s eve, 31st December 2021 at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for cocaine trafficking.
“He was found to have ingested 58 wraps of the illicit drug, 48 of which he excreted on transit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia while he expelled the balance of 10 in NDLEA custody after his arrest on 1st January 2022. He was thereafter 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 diligent prosecution, Iludoba was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on each count, bringing his total years in jail to 10 years, which will run concurrently from the date of his conviction, Wednesday 5th March 2025.
“In the case of Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), 55, and Zidon Zurga, 50, they were arrested by NDLEA operatives on 25th November 2024 along Numan- Yola road with 500.800kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in a pilot Toyota Hilux vehicle marked Lagos NT 829 AAA and a Prado SUV with a fake presidency number plate 01B-266 FG.
“They were later arraigned before Justice Bala Usman in charge number: FHC/YL/150 /2024 and convicted on 7th February 2025 to 35 years imprisonment each on two counts, bringing the combined years in jail for both of them to 70 years or pay a fine of N25 million each. The court also ordered the interim forfeiture of the two jeeps used in trafficking the illicit drug consignment.”
Reacting to the conviction of the trio, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the trial courts, the teams of officers who investigated and prosecuted the three cases at the MMIA Strategic Command in Lagos, Akanu Ibiam International Airport Special Area Command, Enugu and the Adamawa State Command for their diligence and professionalism.
Marwa said “the conviction and the forfeiture of the convicts’ instruments of crime will further strengthen the deterrent effect of our ongoing effort to dismantle every drug network in the country”.
