By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, a 59-year-old businessman has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach.
Igbokwe was arrested at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight on Jan. 26.
The suspect has to undergone a 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.
He was promptly taken for body scant at NDLEA custody for excretion observation, which revealed illicit drugs in his system.
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.
Investigation revealed that Igbokwe who claims to be into cloth business at Arena, Oshodi area of Lagos, departed Lagos on Jan. 22 to Addis Ababa where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day Jan. 23 and boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon to deliver the illicit consignment for a fee of $3,000.
He said he was refused entry on his arrival in Beirut because he had less than $2,000, the amount required to grant him entry and was then deported to Addis Ababa where he attempted excreting the illicit drugs but could not.
He thereafter proceeded to Lagos on Jan. 25 with the consignment in his bowel and was arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers on Jan.26.
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.
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 Jan. 30.
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.
