The Federal High Court in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, has convicted and sentenced four drug kingpins—Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga—to a combined 95 years in prison for trafficking cocaine and skunk worth over N4.6 billion. The court also ordered the forfeiture of luxury vehicles and monetary exhibits found on them at the time of their arrest. This was disclosed in a statement released by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, 7th March 2025.
Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi was apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on September 18, 2024. He was caught during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight passengers from Addis Ababa, attempting to smuggle 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40 kilograms, valued at N4.656 billion. His arrest came just 16 months after he had been convicted in July 2023 for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine. Despite paying a fine of N3 million and being set free, he reoffended and was re-arrested at Lagos airport. This time, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos sentenced him to a total of 15 years in prison, with the possibility of a reduced sentence if he paid a fine of N7 million.
In a separate case, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, 51, was arrested on December 31, 2021, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for cocaine trafficking. He had ingested 58 wraps of cocaine, expelling 48 in transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the remaining 10 while in NDLEA custody after his arrest on January 1, 2022. Following three years of prosecution, he was sentenced by Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu, to five years imprisonment on each of the two counts against him, bringing his total jail term to 10 years. The sentences will run concurrently from March 5, 2025.
Meanwhile, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), 55, and Zidon Zurga, 50, were intercepted by NDLEA operatives on November 25, 2024, along the Numan-Yola road. They were found transporting 500.800kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, hidden inside a Toyota Hilux with Lagos registration number NT 829 AAA and a Prado SUV bearing a fake presidency number plate, 01B-266 FG. Justice Bala Usman of the Federal High Court Yola sentenced both men on February 7, 2025, to 35 years imprisonment each on two counts, totaling 70 years in prison. They were also given the option of paying a N25 million fine each. Additionally, the court ordered the interim forfeiture of the two jeeps used in the illicit drug trade.
Reacting to the convictions, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary and NDLEA officers at MMIA, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, and Adamawa State Command for their dedication and professionalism. He emphasized that the convictions and forfeitures serve as a strong deterrent, reinforcing the agency’s determination to dismantle all drug networks operating in the country.
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