by Rachel Ogbu

A 28-year-old man almost died at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, when he found it difficult to expel a wrap of cocaine which got stuck in his anus.

The suspected drug trafficker named Emmanuel Onedigbo, from Anambra State was heading to Pakistan via Qatar airline when he tested positive for narcotic ingestion. He was later discovered to have allegedly inserted four wraps of cocaine in his anus.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested him immediately with another suspect, Obinna Akwaeze, who allegedly ingested 67 wraps of cocaine making a total of 1.295kg of cocaine from both men.

NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar said officials at one point during the process thought  Onedigbo was going to die because the drugs he swallowed got stuck.

“While Akwaeze successfully expelled all 67 wraps of cocaine he ingested without assistance, Onedigbo was unable to expel one of the wraps until medical doctors came to his rescue. We were disturbed because his life was in danger,” Hamza said.

Onedigbo was said to have confessed he was a drug dealer who had served time in prison before.

“It is true that I was deported in February 2013 after serving three years jail term in Thailand. I went back into drug smuggling because there was nothing for me to sustain myself,” he reportedly said.

According to reports, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, described Onedigbo as an unrepentant drug trafficker.

“It is very sad that a drug convict got involved in drug trafficking few months after his release and deportation. This shows that he is not remorseful,” the NDLEA boss said.