How a disabled Nigerian drug trafficker died in Ghana

Fifty-five-year-old, physically challenged Nigerian, Ambrose Okeke Ifedilichukwe, who was arrested last Thursday, at the Kotoka International Airport, Ghana, for swallowing pellets of powdered substances suspected to be cocaine has died.



Ambrose-Okeke

He died on Saturday evening after going through surgery at the 37 Military Hospital, where he expelled 46 of the pellets, reports Ghanaian Times.

He had earlier confessed to officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) during interrogation that he swallowed the substance to be delivered to somebody for a fee of $6,000.

NACOB is a Ghananian agency concerned with the formulation and enforcement of narcotics laws, as well as preventing the use, import, and export of narcotics.

Nii Lante Blankson, Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Enforcement at NACOB, who disclosed yesterday, said he suspected that some of the pellets might have burst in the stomach.

He said Ifedilichukwe, who is physically-challenged, was on an Emirate flight from Cote d’ Ivoire en-route to Hong-Kong via Dubai, but while on the flight, the flight attendants noticed he was fidgeting.

On reaching the Kotoka International Airport, Mr. Ifedilichukwe, was handed over to airport officials who took him to the Aviation Clinic where it was observed that he had swallowed illicit substances.



Mr. Blankson said NACOB personnel on duty at the airport, were consequently informed of the situation and they went to the clinic to interrogate the suspect, who admitted swallowing pellets of substance to be delivered for somebody for a fee of $6,000.

Ifedilichukwe was subsequently taken to the Akai House Clinic at Cantonments, where an X-ray examination confirmed some substances in his stomach.

The medical officer on duty advised that the suspect expel the substances before he could be treated, hence he was taken back to the Aviation Clinic, but his condition worsened, and he was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was operated upon.

He died later while receiving treatment.