Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have again arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Christian Ogbuji.
Ogbuji was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on May 10, 2023, upon arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951 for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine weighing 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 July 13, 2023.
Ogbuji was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of paying a fine of N3,000,000.00.
A statement by the spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi said Ogbuji paid the fine.
Babafemi added that Ogbuji also forfeited the seized 1.986 kilograms of cocaine, his international passport, 14 US dollars and 9000 Uganda shillings were found on him at the time of his arrest.
However, Babafemi stated that 16 months later, Ogbuji was arrested again on September 18, 2024, with N4.6bn worth of cocaine.
Babafemi said, “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 intercepted by operatives of the NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos for importing 817 wraps of the same Class A drug weighing 19.40 kilograms with an estimated street value of N4,656,000,000.00.
“Ogbuji was again arrested at the Lagos airport on Wednesday, 18th September 2024, during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight passengers from Addis Ababa to Lagos. 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 said during an interview with the suspect, that he initially left the backpack containing the drug at the carousel area as a strategy to beat NDLEA operatives, adding that he never knew there could be a secondary search since he had presented his bag for search previously and nothing incriminating was found.
Babafemi said the suspect claimed he had to procure a new international passport to continue his criminal trade.
“Investigation reveals Ogbuji is an unrepentant kingpin within the network of drug cartels operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria and others in the West African sub-region like
Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire,” he added.
PUNCH