Ex-Convict Arrested with ₦4.6bn Worth of Cocaine at Lagos Airport

An ex-convict has been apprehended at Lagos Airport with ₦4.6 billion worth of cocaine. Learn more about the arrest and the ongoing investigation into drug trafficking in Nigeria.

A mere 16 months following his arrest and conviction for swallowing 93 pellets of cocaine, 48-year-old businessman Christian Ogbuji has been apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to a statement released by the Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Ogbuji was detained for importing 817 wraps of the same Class A substance, weighing 19.40 kilograms, with an estimated street value of ₦4.656 billion.

Ogbuji’s initial arrest occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja on May 10, 2023, upon his arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951, where he was found to have ingested 93 pellets of cocaine totaling a gross weight of 1.986 kilograms.

He was subsequently brought before Federal High Court 12 in Abuja, under the jurisdiction of Hon. Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, in case number FHC/ABJ/CR/192/2023, and was convicted on July 13, 2023.

The court sentenced Ogbuji to two years in prison, with the option of a ₦3 million fine, which he paid, resulting in his release.

Additionally, the court mandated the forfeiture of the 1.986 kilograms of cocaine seized, along with his international passport, 14 US dollars, and 9,000 Uganda shillings that were in his possession at the time of his arrest.

Undeterred by his previous conviction, Ogbuji was once again arrested at the Lagos airport on September 18, 2024, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

The suspect approached the joint examination table carrying a black travel bag, which was inspected by an NDLEA operative who cleared it. In a questionable maneuver, Ogbuji returned to the carousel area to place a black backpack into the cleared bag that he had previously left on the conveyor belt.

As he attempted to exit the arrival hall, observant NDLEA officers intercepted him and conducted a secondary search.

Large packages of excreted cocaine were discovered concealed within a backpack that was hidden inside a black travel bag previously associated with the suspect.

In total, 817 pellets of cocaine, excreted by various traffickers in Addis Ababa and weighing 19.40 kg, were recovered, belonging to different members of a drug cartel.

During an interrogation, the suspect explained that he had initially left the backpack containing the drugs at the carousel area as a tactic to evade NDLEA operatives. He asserted that he was unaware of the possibility of a secondary search, as he had previously presented his bag for inspection without any incriminating items being found.

He also mentioned that he had to obtain a new international passport to continue his illicit activities.

The NDLEA stated, “Investigations have shown that Ogbuji is a defiant kingpin within the network of drug cartels operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and other countries in the West African region, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire.”

In response to Ogbuji’s arrest, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the officers and personnel of the MMIA Strategic Command for their commendable efforts. He noted that the seizure of such a significant quantity of cocaine at the airport represents a critical achievement that will convey a strong warning to international drug cartels attempting to establish a presence in Nigeria.

He affirmed that the agency will persist in its efforts to disrupt the operations of drug cartels within the country.