By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
IN A decisive blow to drug trafficking networks, four notorious drug kingpins have been sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison by the Federal High Courts in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State.
The convicts—Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga—were found guilty of trafficking cocaine and skunk valued at over N4.6 billion.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of vehicles and other assets linked to their illicit operations.
Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi was intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on 18 September 2024.
NDLEA operatives discovered 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40 kilograms in his possession.
The street value of the illicit substance was estimated at N4.656 billion.
His arrest came just 16 months after a previous conviction for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine, for which he served a two-year jail term or paid a fine of N3 million.
Despite his earlier conviction, Ogbuji resumed drug trafficking, leading to his latest arrest.
Following his arraignment before Justice Yellim Bogoro at the Federal High Court in Lagos on 16 January 2025, he was sentenced on 28 February.
The court imposed five years imprisonment on count one with a N7 million fine option and a mandatory 10-year term on count two. Failure to pay the fine would result in a total of 15 years in prison.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all items recovered from him at the time of arrest.
Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, 51, was apprehended on 31 December 2021 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, while attempting to smuggle cocaine.
Investigations revealed that he had ingested 58 wraps of the drug, 48 of which he excreted during transit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The remaining 10 were expelled while in NDLEA custody.
Following an extensive trial at the Federal High Court in Enugu, Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo sentenced Iloduba to 10 years in prison—five years on each of the two counts—on 5 March 2025.
His sentence will run concurrently.
Shuaibu Nuhu Isa, 55, and Zidon Zurga, 50, were arrested on 25 November 2024 along the Numan-Yola highway while attempting to smuggle 500.800kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
The illicit drugs were concealed in a Toyota Hilux and a Prado SUV bearing a counterfeit presidency number plate, 01B-266 FG.
Tried before Justice Bala Usman of the Federal High Court, Yola, the duo was convicted on 7 February 2025. Each received a 35-year sentence on two counts, amounting to a combined total of 70 years behind bars.
The court also imposed a N25 million fine per convict and ordered the interim forfeiture of the two vehicles used in the smuggling operation.
Reacting to the landmark convictions, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the judiciary and the agency’s operatives.
He specifically praised the MMIA Strategic Command in Lagos, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Special Area Command, and the Adamawa State Command for their diligence and professionalism.
“These convictions, coupled with the forfeiture of the criminals’ assets, reinforce our commitment to dismantling drug cartels across the country.
“The deterrent effect of these sentences will send a clear message that there is no escape for those involved in drug trafficking,” Marwa stated.
