Daud Olatunji
A Federal High Court has sentenced Freeman Charles Ogbonna to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, following his arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
Ogbonna, a Delhi-bound passenger, was apprehended on March 31st while attempting to board a flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways, using a Liberian passport bearing the name Carr Bismark.
The NDLEA’s vigilance at the screening point of terminal 2 led to Ogbonna’s detention after a body scan revealed he had ingested illicit drugs.
Subsequent investigations uncovered his true identity and the gravity of his crime.
According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, Ogbonna was placed under observation in NDLEA custody, where he exhibited signs of severe discomfort.
“Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously,” the statement revealed.
Over a harrowing four-day period, Ogbonna expelled a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through both his mouth and anus.
He later confessed that a relative had recruited him into drug trafficking, promising a reward of N300,000 if he successfully delivered the consignment in India.
The drugs had been given to him at a hotel in the Ipodo area of Ikeja.
Ogbonna was subsequently charged before Justice Dipeolu Deinde Isaac under charge number FHCL/378/2024 for offences contrary to section 20(1)(b) and punishable under section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004.
On July 1st, 2024, Justice Dipeolu handed down the 25-year sentence without the option of a fine.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the MMIA Command and the prosecution team for their swift and thorough handling of the case.
He emphasised the critical role of the judiciary in the collective effort to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
“Ogbonna’s conviction sends a strong signal to drug barons and their mules that there will be no hiding place for them,” Marwa stated, reinforcing the NDLEA’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
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