Federal High Courts in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, have ordered the forfeiture of vehicles owned by four notorious drug kingpins to the Federal Government.
The courts ordered the forfeiture after sentencing the drug dealers to a total of 95 years in prisons, following their convictions for trafficking cocaine and skunk worth over N4.6bn.
The convicts are Ogbuji Ifeanyi, Iloduba Chinonye, Shuaibu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga.
In a statement on Friday, the spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Femi Babafemi, said Ogbuji, 48, was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA on September 18, 2024, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Addis Ababa. Babafemi said he was caught importing 817 wraps of cocaine, weighing 19.40 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N4.65 bn.
“He was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday May 10, 2023, upon arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951 for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.986kg.
“He was subsequently arraigned before Federal High Court 12 Abuja presided over by Hon. Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon in charge no: FHC/ABJ/CR/192/2023 and convicted on July 13, 2023. Ogbuji was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of paying a fine of N3,000,000 which he paid and was set free, “ Babafemi said.
The NDLEA spokesperson said less than 16 months later, he was caught again with a larger consignment of cocaine at the Lagos airport
Babafemi added that on February 28, 2025, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, sentenced, Ogbuji to five years in prison on one count, with an option of a N7m fine, and 10 years imprisonment on another count, without an option of a fine. He said, “Not done with crime, Ogbuji was again arrested at the Lagos airport with a large consignment of cocaine on 18th September 2024, after which he was arraigned before Justice Bogoro in charge number: FHC/L/845C on 16th January 2025.
“He was eventually sentenced on 28th February to five years imprisonment on count one with an option of seven million naira fine and 10 years imprisonment on count two without an option of fine. In the event that he failed to pay the N7m fine, the judge ruled that the convict will serve a total of 15 years in jail consecutively. The court ordered the forfeiture of monetary exhibits and other items found on him at the time of his arrest.”
Babafemi said Iloduba, 51, was arrested on December 31, 2021, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for ingesting 58 wraps of cocaine.
While on transit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Babafemi said he excreted 48 wraps, while the remaining 10 wraps were expelled under NDLEA custody.
“After three years of diligent prosecution, Iludoba was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on each count, bringing his total years in jail to 10 years, which will run concurrently from the date of his conviction, Wednesday 5th March 2025,” the statement added. In the case of Shuaibu Isa and Zidon Zurga, he said they were apprehended on November 25, 2024, along Numan-Yola Road while trafficking 500.8 kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
He said they concealed the illicit drugs in a Toyota Hilux (marked Lagos NT 829 AAA) and a Prado SUV bearing a fake presidency number plate (01B-266 FG).
Babafemi said following their trial before Justice Bala Usman of the Federal High Court, Yola, they were convicted on February 7, 2025, and sentenced to 35 years imprisonment each on two counts.
“The court also ordered the interim forfeiture of the two jeeps used in trafficking the illicit drug consignment,” the statement said.
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