The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has once again apprehended a convicted drug trafficker, Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The 48-year-old businessman was caught importing 817 wraps of Class A cocaine, weighing 19.40 kilograms. The drugs are valued at an estimated street worth of N4.656 billion.
This recent arrest comes barely 16 months after Ogbuji was previously detained for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine. He had been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, on May 10, 2023, after arriving from Uganda via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951. At that time, he was found with 93 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.986kg.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, recounted how Ogbuji was arraigned before Federal High Court 12 in Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon. “He was convicted on July 13, 2023, and sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a N3,000,000 fine,” Babafemi said.
Ogbuji paid the fine and was released. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the 1.986kg of cocaine, his international passport, and other foreign currencies found at the time of his arrest.
Undeterred by his conviction, Ogbuji resumed his illegal activities. He was arrested again on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, during inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers at Lagos airport.
According to Babafemi, “The suspect approached the joint examination table with a black travelling bag, which was cleared by NDLEA operatives. However, Ogbuji then sneaked back to the carousel area and placed a black backpack inside the already-cleared bag.”
As Ogbuji attempted to exit the arrival hall, vigilant NDLEA officers intercepted him for a secondary search. “During this search, large wraps of excreted cocaine were discovered hidden in the backpack concealed inside the black travelling bag,” Babafemi explained.
A total of 817 pellets of cocaine, weighing 19.40kg and excreted by multiple traffickers in Addis Ababa, were recovered.
In an interview, Ogbuji admitted to leaving the backpack at the carousel as part of a strategy to evade detection. “He claimed he did not expect a secondary search after his bag was initially cleared,” Babafemi added.
The suspect also revealed that he procured a new international passport to continue his criminal enterprise.
NDLEA’s investigation has uncovered that Ogbuji is a key player within a vast drug cartel operating across Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and other West African nations, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire.
