Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
FCT, Abuja – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) have arrested 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA for trafficking cocaine in his stomach.
Igbokwe went through surgery, exploratory laparotomy, to remove 57 out of 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja.
The NDLEA, Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the cocaine was removed after seven days of ingesting it in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Babafemi made this known in a statement issued via the NDLEA X handle, @ndlea_nigeria on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
The NDLEA spokesperson said Igbokwe was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday 26th January 2025.
He said the businessman was promptly taken for a body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system. He was later taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.
Babafemi explained that Igbokwe departed Lagos on 22nd January to Addis Ababa where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day.
The businessman boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon to deliver the illicit consignment for a fee of $3,000.
He said Igbokwe claims to be in the clothing business at Arena, Oshodi area of Lagos.
“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 25th January with the consignment in his bowel. He was however arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers on 26th January.”
The NDLEA spokesperson disclosed that Igbokwe underwent exploratory laparotomy to extract the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine stuck in his stomach.
This was after his wife and brother endorsed the necessary consent forms on Thursday, January 30th.
He further explained that the decision was taken due to the complication of other underlining medical conditions.
Babafemi said a total of 81 pellets of the Class A drug with a gross weight of 1.943 kilograms were recovered from his stomach.
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Mbadiwe’s partner, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was also apprehended the same day at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja, where he was collecting 33 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.