Businessman’ arrested by NDLEA undergoes surgery to remove cocaine wraps stuck in his stomach

Following a close shave with death, a 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, has undergone surgery, exploratory laparotomy, to let out 57 out of 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach after seven days of ingesting the illicit substance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

NDLEA disclosed that its operatives arrested Igbokwe at the arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday, January 26th, 2025.

‘He was promptly taken for a body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system.

“He was soon after taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.

“Investigation revealed that Igbokwe, who claims to be into cloth business at Arena, Oshodi area of Lagos, departed Lagos on January 22nd to Addis Ababa where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day January 23rd and boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon to deliver the illicit consignment for a fee of $3,000.

Upon his arrival in Beirut, he said he was refused entry because he had less than $2,000, the amount required to grant him entry.

He was then deported to Addis Ababa, where he attempted to excrete the illicit drugs but could not. He thereafter proceeded to Lagos on Saturday, January 25th, with the consignment in his bowel.

“He was, however, arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers on January 26th.

“After five days under excretion observation, he could only expel 24 pellets following initial medical intervention at the agency’s medical facility and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja.

“With the clock ticking for him and the complication of other underlining medical conditions, the suspect was eventually admitted at the tertiary facility where he had to undergo exploratory laparotomy to extract the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine stuck in his stomach after his wife and brother endorsed the necessary consent forms on Thursday, January 30th.

‘In all, a total of 81 pellets of the Class A drug with a gross weight of 1.943 kilograms were recovered from his stomach”.

Meanwhile, NDLEA said its operatives in Lagos on Wednesday, January 29th, intercepted a consignment of 2,000 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis produced in Ghana, at Lekki beach, where two suspects, Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus, attempted loading them into a truck.

The suspects, the skunk shipment and the van, were immediately taken into custody. Another suspect, Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi, was also arrested the same day with 55kg of skunk during a raid at his base in the Mushin area of Lagos.

Across the country, NDLEA Commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, and palaces of traditional rulers and communities throughout the past week.

These include a WADA sensitization lecture to the students and staff of Grand Light Model School, Ata Udosung, Akwa Ibom; Community Grammar School, Iganna, Iwajowa LGA, Oyo state; Ebute Afuye Primary School, Epe, Lagos state; and Akwakuma and Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Imo state.

Others are Federal Government College, Kebbe, Sokoto state, while the Kogi state command of the Agency paid a WADA advocacy visit to Attah of Igala and HRH Mathew Opaluwa Oguche at his palace in Idah, among others.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of MMIA Strategic Command for their vigilance and professionalism in handling Chijioke Igbokwe’s case.

He warned those involved in the illicit drug trade that they’re not only destroying the lives of others but equally putting their own lives at significant risk.

He applauded the Lagos State Strategic Command for blocking a vast consignment of skunks from entering the country.

He recognized the concerted efforts of their compatriots in all the commands across the country to intensify the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitization activities and balance the agency’s drug supply and demand reduction efforts.