Four drug kingpins — Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (alias Don), and Zidon Zurga — have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison by the Federal High Courts in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, for trafficking cocaine and skunk valued at over N4.6 billion.

The Director of Media and Advocacy at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abuja, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to Babafemi, Ogbuji was apprehended by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on September 18, 2024, during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Addis Ababa. He was found in possession of 817 wraps of cocaine, weighing 19.40 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N4.656 billion.

The arrest came just 16 months after Ogbuji had been convicted for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine. He was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, on May 10, 2023, upon arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa. The 93 pellets had a gross weight of 1.986 kilograms.

Following his first arrest, Ogbuji was arraigned before Federal High Court 12, Abuja, presided over by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/192/2023, and was convicted on July 13, 2023. He was sentenced to two years in prison with the option of a N3 million fine, which he paid to secure his release.

However, he was rearrested at the Lagos airport on September 18, 2024, with a large cocaine consignment.

Obafemi 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.”

On February 28, the court sentenced Ogbuji to five years imprisonment on count one, with an option of a N7 million fine, and 10 years on count two without an option of a fine. The court ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in a total of 15 years in prison. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits and other items seized from him, disclosed Obafemi.

In a separate case, 51-year-old Iloduba was arrested on December 31, 2021, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for cocaine trafficking. Investigations revealed he had ingested 58 wraps of the drug—48 of which he excreted while in transit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the remaining 10 in NDLEA custody after his arrest on January 1, 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 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,” said the NDLEA spokesman.

According to Obafemi, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (55) and Zidon Zurga (50) were also arrested by NDLEA operatives on November 25, 2024, along the Numan-Yola road. They were found transporting 500.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in a Toyota Hilux with registration number Lagos NT 829 AAA and a Prado SUV bearing a fake presidency plate, 01B-266 FG.

The duo was arraigned before Justice Bala Usman under charge number FHC/YL/150/2024 and convicted on February 7, 2025. They were sentenced to 35 years each on two counts, bringing their total combined jail term to 70 years, or an option to 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 convictions, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the trial courts and the agency’s officers for their diligence and professionalism in investigating and prosecuting the cases.