Lagos – A major blow to Nigeria’s drug trade as four kingpins receive a combined 95-year sentence for trafficking N4.6 billion worth of cocaine. Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (known as Don), and Zidon Zurga were convicted by courts in Lagos, Yola, and Adamawa.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the landmark convictions. Spokesperson Femi Babafemi shared details of the high-profile case.
Repeat Offender’s Downfall
Ogbuji’s brazen attempt to smuggle 817 wraps of cocaine, valued at a staggering N4.6 billion, through Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos proved to be his undoing. What makes this case even more shocking? It occurred just 16 months after his previous conviction for swallowing 93 cocaine pellets!
He’d initially been arrested on May 10, 2023, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, after arriving from Uganda via Addis Ababa with almost 2 kg of cocaine inside his body. He got a light sentence then – a two-year term or a N3 million fine, which he promptly paid. This time, however, his luck ran out.
His accomplice, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, will also serve time for his role in this dangerous drug operation.
Fake Plates Can’t Hide Skunk Stash
Meanwhile, Shuaibu Isa and Zidon Zurga thought they could outsmart authorities. On November 25, 2024, they were stopped along the Numan-Yola road with over 500 kg of skunk – a potent strain of cannabis – hidden inside a Toyota vehicle. The vehicle even sported fake presidential license plates! Nice try, guys.
Convicted on February 7, 2025, each man faces 35 years behind bars, or the option of paying a N25 million fine.
With a total of 95 years handed down to these four criminals, this is a major win in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against the illegal drug trade. It sends a clear message: crime doesn’t pay, especially when it involves multi-billion naira drug rings.
