From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, who has undergone exploratory laparotomy surgery to extract 57 out of 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach after seven days of ingesting the illicit substance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Igbokwe was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday, 26 January 2025.
He was promptly subjected to a body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system, and was thereafter taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.
A statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that Igbokwe, who claimed to be in the clothing business at Arena, Oshodi, Lagos, departed Lagos on 22 January to Addis Ababa, where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day, 23 January. He then boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon, to deliver the consignment for a fee of $3,000.
Upon arrival in Beirut, he was refused entry because he had less than $2,000, the minimum amount required for entry.
He was subsequently deported to Addis Ababa, where he attempted to excrete the illicit drugs but was unsuccessful. He then proceeded to Lagos on Saturday, 25 January, still carrying the consignment in his bowel. He was arrested upon arrival at Lagos Airport by NDLEA officers on 26 January.
After five days under excretion observation, he managed to expel only 24 pellets following initial medical intervention at the agency’s medical facility and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
Due to complications from underlying medical conditions and the urgency of his situation, the suspect was admitted to a tertiary facility, where he underwent exploratory laparotomy to extract the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine. The surgery was conducted after his wife and brother signed the necessary consent forms on Thursday, 30 January.
In total, 81 pellets of the Class A drug, with a gross weight of 1.943 kilograms, were recovered from his stomach.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos, on Wednesday, 29 January, intercepted a consignment of 2,000 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis produced in Ghana, at Lekki Beach. Two suspects, Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus, were apprehended while attempting to load the drugs into a truck.
The suspects, the skunk shipment, and the truck were taken into custody. Another suspect, Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi, was also arrested the same day with 55 kg of skunk during a raid in Mushin, Lagos.
Across the country, NDLEA commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, traditional rulers’ palaces, and communities throughout the past week.
These included WADA sensitisation lectures at Grand Light Model School, Ata Udosung, Akwa Ibom; Community Grammar School, Iganna, Iwajowa LGA, Oyo State; Ebute Afuye Primary School, Epe, Lagos State; Akwakuma Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State; and Federal Government College, Kebbe, Sokoto State. The Kogi State command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Attah of Igala, HRH Mathew Opaluwa Oguche, at his palace in Idah.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA Strategic Command for their vigilance and professionalism in handling Chijioke Igbokwe’s case, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), warned that those involved in the illicit drug trade are not only destroying the lives of others but also putting their own lives at great risk.
He also applauded the Lagos State Strategic Command for intercepting the large consignment of skunk and recognised the efforts of NDLEA commands nationwide for intensifying WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitisation activities to create a balance in drug supply and demand reduction efforts.