By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 59-year-old businessman, Chijioke Igbokwe, for ingesting 81 pellets of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the suspect had undergone a surgery, exploratory laparotomy, to let out 57 out of 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach.

This, he said, was after seven days of ingesting the illicit substance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He said that Igbokwe was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA, at the arrival hall of the MMIA, during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday, January, 26.

He added that the suspect who was promptly taken for body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system was soon after taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.

According to Babafemi, 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.

This, he said, was 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.

?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 excreting the illicit drugs but could not.

?He thereafter proceeded to Lagos on Saturday, Jan. 25 with the consignment in his bowel. He was however 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.

?With the clock ticking for him and the complication of other underlying medical conditions, the suspect was eventually admitted at the tertiary facility.

?This was 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 Thursday, 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,? he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of the MMIA strategic command for their vigilance and professionalism in handling Chijioke Igbokwe?s case.

Marwa warned those involved in the illicit drug trade that they?re not only destroying the lives of others, but equally putting their own lives at great risk. (NAN)

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