Businessman Undergoes Surgery to Expel 81 Wraps of Cocaine After Seven Days in Stomach

A 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, narrowly escaped death after undergoing an emergency surgery to remove 57 out of 81 wraps of cocaine stuck in his stomach. The illicit substance had remained in his system for seven days before his arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Igbokwe was apprehended on Sunday, January 26, 2025, upon arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. A body scan conducted by NDLEA operatives confirmed the presence of illicit drugs in his system, leading to his immediate detention for excretion observation.

Failed Drug Trafficking Mission

Investigations revealed that Igbokwe, a self-proclaimed clothing trader based in Arena, Oshodi, Lagos, had left Nigeria on January 22 for Addis Ababa, where he ingested 81 wraps of cocaine the following day before proceeding to Beirut, Lebanon, for delivery. He was promised a $3,000 fee for the risky mission.

However, upon arrival in Lebanon, immigration officials denied him entry for failing to meet the $2,000 minimum entry fund requirement. He was subsequently deported back to Ethiopia, where he attempted to excrete the drugs but was unsuccessful. On January 25, he boarded a flight back to Lagos with the cocaine still lodged in his stomach, leading to his arrest by NDLEA officers the next day.

Life-Saving Surgery at LASUTH

Despite five days of medical intervention, Igbokwe was only able to excrete 24 pellets of cocaine. With time running out and his health deteriorating due to underlying medical conditions, doctors at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) performed an exploratory laparotomy on January 30, successfully extracting the remaining 57 pellets after his wife and brother signed the necessary consent forms.

In total, the NDLEA recovered 81 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.943 kilograms, from his stomach.

2,000kg Skunk Shipment Intercepted in Lagos

Meanwhile, in a separate operation, NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a 2,000kg shipment of Ghanaian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, at Lekki Beach on January 29. The illicit consignment was being loaded into a truck by two suspects, Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus, who were immediately taken into custody along with the seized drugs and the vehicle.

In another raid on the same day, NDLEA officers arrested Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi in Mushin, Lagos, with 55kg of skunk.

Nationwide Drug Awareness Campaigns

As part of its ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, the NDLEA carried out sensitization lectures and advocacy visits across various states, targeting schools, workplaces, and traditional institutions. Locations visited included:

• Grand Light Model School, Akwa Ibom
• Community Grammar School, Iganna, Oyo State
• Ebute Afuye Primary School, Epe, Lagos
• Akwakuma Girls Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State
• Federal Government College, Kebbe, Sokoto State
• Palace of Attah of Igala, HRH Mathew Opaluwa Oguche, Kogi State

NDLEA’s Warning to Drug Traffickers

Commending his officers for their vigilance, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), reiterated the agency’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking.

He warned traffickers that they are not only destroying lives but also endangering their own. He praised the Lagos State Command for intercepting the 2,000kg skunk shipment and commended NDLEA officers nationwide for their social advocacy efforts in reducing both drug supply and demand.