The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested Christian Ogbuji, an ex-convict, for attempting to import 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40kg, with an estimated value of N4.6 billion, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos.
In a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Tuesday in Abuja, it was disclosed that Ogbuji’s arrest came just 16 months after he had been apprehended and convicted for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine.
Babafemi explained that the 48-year-old businessman was first arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on May 10, 2023, upon his arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951. He was found to have ingested 93 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.986kg.
Following his initial arrest, Ogbuji was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja and convicted on July 13, 2023. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment but was given the option to pay a fine of N3 million, which he did, securing his release. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the 1.986kg of cocaine, his international passport, $14, and 9,000 Uganda shillings that were confiscated during his arrest.
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Undeterred by his previous conviction, Ogbuji was arrested again on September 18, 2024, at Lagos airport during the inward clearance of passengers from an Ethiopian Airlines flight. After passing through initial checks, he attempted to retrieve a black backpack he had left on the luggage carousel and conceal it in his previously cleared luggage. NDLEA officers, however, intercepted him and, during a secondary search, discovered large wraps of cocaine concealed in the backpack hidden inside his bag.
The suspect further disclosed that he had obtained a new international passport to continue his illicit activities following his prior conviction. Investigations have identified Ogbuji as a key player within a drug cartel network operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and other West African nations, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, praised the MMIA Strategic Command officers for their vigilance and successful operation. He highlighted the seizure of such a significant amount of cocaine as a major victory, underscoring the agency’s ongoing commitment to disrupting international drug trafficking operations and sending a strong message to criminal networks attempting to establish bases in Nigeria.
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