LAGOS – A 59-year-old Nigerian businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, has undergone surgery to remove 81 pellets of cocaine from his stomach after a failed attempt to traffic the drugs from Ethiopia to Lebanon. Igbokwe was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Sunday, January 26, 2025, upon his arrival from Addis Ababa.
According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, a body scan revealed the drugs in Igbokwe’s system. He was detained for observation. The suspect, who claimed to be a clothing trader in Oshodi, Lagos, had traveled to Addis Ababa on January 22nd and ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day. His plan was to fly to Beirut, Lebanon, and deliver the drugs for $3,000.
However, Igbokwe was denied entry into Beirut due to insufficient funds and was deported back to Addis Ababa. After failing to excrete the drugs there, he traveled to Lagos, where he was apprehended.
Over five days, Igbokwe expelled only 24 pellets with medical assistance at the NDLEA facility and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja. Due to complications and underlying medical conditions, he underwent surgery at LASUTH on January 30th to remove the remaining 57 pellets. His wife and brother provided consent for the procedure.
In total, 81 cocaine pellets weighing 1.943 kilograms were recovered.
In related news, NDLEA operatives seized a 2,000kg consignment of Ghanaian Loud cannabis at Lekki beach in Lagos on January 29th. Two suspects, Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus, were arrested while loading the drugs into a truck. Another suspect, Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi, was also arrested the same day in Mushin, Lagos, with 55kg of skunk.
Drug Trafficking Attempt Foiled at Lagos Airport as Businessman Undergoes Surgery to Remove 81 Cocaine Pellets from Stomach
