Barely 16 months after he was arrested and convicted for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine, a 48-year-old businessman, Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji, has been apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.

The ex-convict was arrested at the Lagos airport for allegedly importing 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40 kilograms with an estimated street value of N4,656,000,000.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

Babafemi stated that Ogbuji was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in 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.

Babafemi revealed that the businessman was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja and convicted on July 13, 2023.

According to him, Ogbuji was sentenced to two years imprisonment with a fine option of N3 million which he paid and was set free.

He added that the court also ordered the forfeiture of the seized 1.986 kilograms of cocaine, Ogbuji’s international passport, $14 and 9,000 Uganda shillings found on him at the time of his arrest.

The NDLEA spokesperson further stated that Ogbuji was again arrested with cocaine at the Lagos airport on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight passengers from Addis Ababa to Lagos.

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Babafemi said: “The suspect had approached the joint examination table with a black travelling bag which was searched by an NDLEA operative who cleared the luggage. In a dubious move, Ogbuji sneaked back to the carousel area to put inside the cleared bag a black backpack he left on the conveyor’s belt.

“As he made his way out of the arrival hall, vigilant NDLEA officers intercepted him and subjected him to a secondary search. It was then large wraps of excreted cocaine were found concealed inside the backpack hidden in the black travelling bag that was earlier found with the suspect.

“A total of 817 pellets of cocaine excreted by many traffickers in Addis Ababa weighing 19.40kg belonging to different members of a drug cartel were recovered.”

Babafemi noted that the businessman said he initially left the backpack containing the drug at the carousel area as a strategy to beat NDLEA operatives, adding that the suspect disclosed that never knew there could be a secondary search since he had presented his bag for search previously and nothing incriminating was found.

“He claimed he had to procure a new international passport to continue his criminal trade,” the NDLEA spokesman stated.

Babafemi added that an investigation revealed that Ogbuji is an unrepentant kingpin within the network of drug cartels operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and others in the West African countries including Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire.

He quoted the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), as commending the anti-narcotic officers for an excellent job done.

Marwa added that the seizure of such a large consignment of cocaine at the Lagos airport was a milestone that would send a strong message to the international drug cartels trying to find footholds in Nigeria.

The NDLEA boss said the agency will continue to work to disrupt the activities of drug cartels operating in the country.

The Star