Four major drug traffickers have been sentenced to a combined 95 years in prison by the Federal High Courts in Lagos, and Yola, following their convictions for smuggling cocaine, and cannabis worth over ₦4.6 billion.
The convicts, Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga, were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in separate operations spanning Lagos, Enugu, and Adamawa States.
Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, a 48-year-old businessman, was arrested on September 18, 2024, by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He was caught smuggling 19.40kg of cocaine concealed in 817 wraps, with an estimated street value of ₦4.656 billion.
This was his second drug trafficking offense, as he had previously been arrested in May 2023, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine.
After his first conviction, he received a two-year jail sentence or a ₦3 million fine, which he paid to secure his freedom.
However, upon his re-arrest in Lagos, he was arraigned before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and sentenced on February 28, 2025.
He received five years in jail with an option of a ₦7 million fine on one count and 10 years without a fine on the second count.
If he fails to pay the fine, he will serve a total of 15 years consecutively. The court also ordered the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits, and other items found in his possession.
Read also: NDLEA storm drug joints in Kano, arrest 18
Similarly, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, 51, was arrested on December 31, 2021, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for cocaine trafficking.
He had ingested 58 wraps of the drug, 48 of which he expelled during transit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while the remaining 10 were excreted under NDLEA supervision after his arrest.
After three years of legal proceedings, Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu, sentenced him to 10 years in prison on March 5, 2025.
His sentence will run concurrently from the date of conviction.
Also, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), 55, and Zidon Zurga, 50, were apprehended on November 25, 2024, by NDLEA operatives along the Numan-Yola Road.
They were caught transporting 500.8kg of skunk, a highly potent strain of cannabis, in a Toyota Hilux, and a Prado SUV fitted with a fake Presidency number plate (01B-266 FG).
On February 7, 2025, Justice Bala Usman of the Federal High Court, Yola, convicted and sentenced both men to 35 years in prison each, totaling 70 years combined.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the two luxury SUVs used in the drug operation. The duo were given an alternative to pay a ₦25 million fine each.
Reacting to the convictions, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), praised the judiciary, and the officers who handled the investigations, and prosecutions across Lagos, Enugu, and Adamawa States.
“These convictions and asset forfeitures will reinforce the deterrent effect of our ongoing efforts to dismantle drug cartels across Nigeria. We remain committed to ensuring that no criminal network thrives under our watch,” Marwa stated.
