The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has once again apprehended an ex-convict, Christian Ogbuji, for drug trafficking. This time, he was caught trying to smuggle 817 wraps of cocaine, weighing 19.40kg, and valued at N4.6 billion, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the arrest happened barely 16 months after Ogbuji’s initial conviction for a similar crime. The 48-year-old businessman had been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja on May 10, 2023, after arriving from Uganda via Addis Ababa. He was caught with 93 cocaine pellets, weighing 1.986kg, which he had swallowed.

Ogbuji was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon presided over the case. He was sentenced to two years in prison but was given the option of paying a fine of N3 million, which he chose. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the cocaine, his international passport, some foreign currency, and Ugandan shillings found on him at the time of his arrest.

Unrepentant, Ogbuji returned to the drug trade and was arrested again on September 18, 2024, at Lagos airport. He was caught during an arrival check of passengers from an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. Initially, his black traveling bag passed the security check without raising suspicion. However, Ogbuji went back to the baggage carousel area, picked up a black backpack that had been left on the conveyor belt, and added it to his luggage.

Alert NDLEA officers stopped Ogbuji before he could exit the airport. Upon a more thorough search, they found large wraps of excreted cocaine hidden in the backpack, which was placed inside the original black travel bag. This was a clear attempt to smuggle the drugs without detection, but vigilant officers were able to prevent his escape.

This arrest serves as another reminder of the NDLEA’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking in Nigeria.