February 02, (THEWILL) – A 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, narrowly escaped death after undergoing an emergency surgical procedure to remove 57 out of 81 wraps of cocaine lodged in his stomach for seven days.
Igbokwe, who claimed to be a clothing merchant operating at Arena Market, Oshodi, Lagos, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
Following his arrest, Igbokwe was subjected to a body scan, which revealed multiple foreign bodies suspected to be illicit drugs.
He was immediately placed under observation at the NDLEA facility for excretion monitoring.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Igbokwe left Lagos for Addis Ababa on January 22, 2025.
The following day, he ingested 81 wraps of cocaine with the intention of delivering the consignment to Beirut, Lebanon, for a promised fee of $3,000.
However, upon arrival in Beirut, he was denied entry for failing to meet the $2,000 minimum financial requirement for entry. Deported back to Addis Ababa, Igbokwe attempted to excrete the drugs but was unsuccessful.
Determined to complete his mission, he boarded a return flight to Lagos on January 25, with the drugs still in his system.
On arrival in Lagos, NDLEA operatives apprehended him, leading to a tense five-day period of excretion observation. Despite initial medical intervention at the agency’s facility and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, he managed to expel only 24 pellets.
With time running out and facing complications from underlying medical conditions, Igbokwe was admitted to LASUTH, where he underwent an exploratory laparotomy on January 30.
The surgery, performed after his wife and brother provided the necessary consent, successfully extracted the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine.
In total, 81 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.943 kilograms, were recovered from his system.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 2,000-kilogram consignment of Ghanaian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, at Lekki Beach, Lagos, on Wednesday, January 29.
Two suspects, Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus, were arrested while attempting to load the shipment into a truck. The suspects, along with the cannabis and the vehicle, were taken into custody.
Additionally, another suspect, Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi, was apprehended the same day in Mushin, Lagos, with 55 kilograms of cannabis during a targeted raid.
Across the country, NDLEA commands intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to schools, religious institutions, workplaces, traditional rulers, and communities.
Notable activities included educational outreach at Grand Light Model School, Akwa Ibom; Community Grammar School, Oyo; Ebute Afuye Primary School, Lagos; Akwakuma Girls Secondary School, Imo; and Federal Government College, Sokoto. The Kogi State Command also paid an advocacy visit to the Attah of Igala, HRH Mathew Opaluwa Oguche, in Idah.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the MMIA Command for their professionalism and vigilance in handling Igbokwe’s case.
He also lauded the Lagos State Command for intercepting the large consignment of cannabis, stressing the agency’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa warned drug traffickers about the risks involved in the illicit trade, stating, “They are not only destroying the lives of others but equally putting their own lives at great risk.”
He further praised the efforts of NDLEA commands nationwide for their intensified WADA advocacy, highlighting the agency’s dual focus on drug supply reduction and demand management as part of its broader strategy to combat drug abuse in Nigeria.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
