Man ingests 55 wraps of cocaine, dies at airport

There was panic and confusion among travellers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja after a man suddenly slumped and later died of cocaine ingestion.

The deceased, a Lagos-based trader, identified as Ndulue Emmanuel Obiefuna, 32, collapsed at the departure hall and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the airport immediately took over the case after the man collapsed and it was discovered he ingested cocaine.

Obiefuna was an intending passenger on an Ethiopian airline flight to China, enroute Addis Ababa on July 5, 2015.

The NDLEA image maker, Mitchel Ofoyeju, while revealing that the deceased’s father had been contacted, said the victim, from Anambra State, decided to abort his trip after collecting his boarding pass.

Ofoyeju said: “This was due to complications arising from the cocaine he ingested. He collapsed immediately he notified the airline officials of his intention to cancel his trip. At the hospital, 55 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine with a total weight of 1.20kg was evacuated from his stomach.”

The NDLEA commander at the Abuja Airport, Hamisu Lawan, said the suspect confessed to cocaine ingestion at the hospital.

Lawan’s words: “The deceased collapsed at the departure hall and was being attended to by Port Health officials. The collapse triggered our suspicion and a narcotic officer was assigned to monitor the development. When the suspect’s condition stabilized at the hospital, he confessed to cocaine ingestion. At that point, the NDLEA took over the case from the Port Health Services. He later died while receiving treatment.”

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who described narcotic ingestion as a suicide mission, reiterated his call for a drug-free society.

Giade said: “Ingesting narcotics is a suicide mission. I sympathize with the family members. Drug trafficking is a serious crime. It’s a threat to public health and safety. The current trend of drug ingestion by drug traffickers in disregard of the grave health implication must be condemned by all. People must shun drug trafficking and support the anti-drug campaign. We must collectively intensify counter-narcotics efforts by talking to at least one person daily on the dangers of drugs and benefits of a drug-free society.”