A passenger bound for Delhi, India, named Freeman Ogbonna, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Federal High Court for trafficking drugs. This follows his arrest at Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where he vomited and excreted eighty wraps of cocaine. According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Ogbonna was apprehended while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to Delhi via Doha using a Liberian passport under the name Carr Bismark.
“He was subjected to a body scan which indicated the presence of illicit drugs in his system,” Babafemi explained. “Unable to retain the drugs, he vomited and excreted them.” Ogbonna admitted to being lured into drug trafficking by a relative.
During his time in NDLEA custody, Ogbonna suffered from discomfort due to the large quantity of drugs in his stomach, exacerbated by substances meant to prevent excretion. Over four days, he expelled a total of 80 wraps of cocaine, weighing 889 grams, through vomiting and defecation.
“He claimed he was promised ₦300,000 to deliver the drugs in India after swallowing them at a hotel in Ikeja,” Babafemi stated. Ogbonna’s confession led to his arraignment before Justice Dipeolu Deinde Isaac of the Federal High Court in Lagos. He was charged under sections 20(1)(b) and 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004.
Justice Dipeolu, in delivering the verdict on Monday, sentenced Ogbonna to 25 years in prison without the option of a fine. NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the MMIA Command and the prosecution team for their swift handling of the case.
Marwa emphasized the judiciary’s crucial role in combating drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria, stating that Ogbonna’s conviction would serve as a deterrent to others involved in such criminal activities.
