The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully convicted four major drug traffickers involved in smuggling cocaine and skunk worth over N4.6 billion. The Federal High Courts in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, sentenced them to a total of 85 years in prison.
Convictions & Sentences
Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi – Repeat Cocaine Offender Gets 15 Years
NDLEA operatives arrested Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on September 18, 2024, during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Addis Ababa. He was caught smuggling 19.40kg of cocaine wrapped in 817 pellets, valued at N4.6 billion.
This was Ogbuji’s second drug offense. In May 2023, he was convicted for ingesting 93 cocaine pellets and was fined N3 million. However, his return to trafficking led to a harsher sentence:
5 years imprisonment (count one) with an N7 million fine option
10 years imprisonment (count two) with no fine option
If the fine is not paid, both sentences will run consecutively for 15 years
Forfeiture of money and items found on him
Iloduba Augustine Chinonye – 10-Year Sentence for Cocaine Smuggling
Iloduba Augustine Chinonye (51) was arrested on December 31, 2021, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after ingesting 58 wraps of cocaine. He expelled 48 in Addis Ababa and 10 more in NDLEA custody after his arrival in Nigeria.
After a three-year trial, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on March 5, 2025, with both five-year counts running concurrently.
Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don) & Zidon Zurga – 70-Year Combined Sentence for Skunk Trafficking
NDLEA operatives arrested Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (55) and Zidon Zurga (50) on November 25, 2024, along the Numan-Yola road, transporting 500.8kg of skunk (cannabis strain) in a Toyota Hilux and a Prado SUV with fake presidency plates.
They were convicted on February 7, 2025, and sentenced to:
35 years each on two counts (total: 70 years)
Option to pay N25 million each
Forfeiture of both vehicles used for trafficking
NDLEA’s Commitment to Dismantling Drug Networks
NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the courts, investigators, and prosecutors for their dedication. He emphasized that these convictions send a strong warning to traffickers and reinforce NDLEA’s mission to eradicate drug syndicates in Nigeria.
