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Ex-Convict Arrested With ₦4.6bn Worth Cocaine At Lagos Airport

Published

12 months ago

September 24, 2024

Barely 16 months after he was arrested and convicted for ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine, a 48-year-old businessman Christian Ogbuji has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos.

A statement by the Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, said he was arrested for importing 817 wraps of the same Class A drug weighing 19.40 kilograms with an estimated street value of ₦4,656bn.

Ogbuji was first arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, on Wednesday 10th May 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 13th July 2023.

Ogbuji was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of paying a fine of ₦3m, which he paid and was set free.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the seized 1.986 kilograms of cocaine, his international passport, 14 US dollars and 9000 Uganda shillings found on him at the time of his arrest.

Not done with crime, Ogbuji was again arrested at the Lagos airport on Wednesday 18th September 2024 during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight passengers from Addis Ababa to Lagos.

The suspect had approached the joint examination table with a black travelling bag which was searched by an NDLEA operative who cleared the luggage.

In a dubious move, Ogbuji sneaked back to the carousel area to put inside the cleared bag a black backpack he left on the conveyor’s belt.

As he made his way out of the arrival hall, vigilant NDLEA officers intercepted him and subjected him to a secondary search.

It was then that large wraps of excreted cocaine were found concealed inside the backpack hidden in the black travelling bag that was earlier found with the suspect.

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

During an interview with the suspect, he stated that he initially left the backpack containing the drug at the carousel area as a strategy to beat NDLEA operatives, adding that he never knew there could be a secondary search, since he had presented his bag for search previously and nothing incriminating was found.

He claimed he had to procure a new international passport to continue his criminal trade.

NDLEA said, “Investigation revealed Ogbuji is an unrepentant kingpin within the network of drug cartels operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria and others in the West African sub-region like Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire.”

In his reaction to the arrest of Ogbuji, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA Strategic Command for an excellent job done, adding that the seizure of such a large consignment of cocaine at the airport is a milestone that will send a strong message to the international drug cartels trying to find footholds in Nigeria.

He said the Agency will continue to work to disrupt the activities of drug cartels operating in the country.
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NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

16 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

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JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

21 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

22 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.