Read the story of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s most controversial female drug smuggler

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Gloria Okon, a 35-year-old woman, was detained by the National Security Organisation (NSO) on April 22, 1985, at the Aminu Kano International Airport for allegedly smuggling chemicals that were thought to be heroin and other hard drugs.
She was apprehended with 56.70 grammes of the narcotics, 301 dollars, 60 pounds sterling, N20,000, and 19,000 Italian lire just before she was set to depart from Nigeria for England.

The international and local media were inundated with reports of Gloria Okon’s apprehension. Nigerians were curious about her fate because, at the time, the Buhari military junta’s Decree No. 20 declared that anyone found in possession of heavy drugs would face execution. But on April 28, 1985, Gloria Okon passed away in an extremely strange and contentious way six days after being taken into custody.

Food poisoning was listed as the cause of death in the medical report. She allegedly didn’t exhibit any symptoms of illness when she was taken into custody until a day later. Gloria Okon was fed rice and beans on the day she was arrested, according to a customs officer who was holding her till she started groaning and eventually passed away.

She was questioned prior to her passing, but she would not speak. Her only hint was to mention the name Bassey without providing a second name, which led the investigation to a dead end. The fact that Gloria Okon’s family did not appear to claim her body, according to reports, further illuminated the dark side of the saga.

Following Babangida’s ouster of Buhari, prominent Nigerian lawyer Gani Fawehinmi attempted to resurrect the inquiry into Gloria Okon’s case, but he ultimately ran afoul of top security operatives for Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun.

Since Gloria Okon’s case has not been resolved, a number of rumours have been circulating among Nigerians like wildfire. Some thought Gloria Okon was employed by Mariam Babangida, the first lady, and that she was assassinated to keep the secret. Additionally, some individuals thought Gloria Okon’s death was staged and that the body that was given to her relatives wasn’t really hers. She was allegedly portrayed as dead in Nigeria but was actually leaving a daily life across the seas.

In June 2009, Professor Taiyemiwo Ogunade, in an interview with THE NATION said: “Gloria Okon is actually Chinyere, that’s her real name. She married Charles “Jeff” Chandler, the fellow who killed Nzeogwu and was killed a day later. Chinyere, Maryam and Princess Atta were young friends who hung out together. They all married into the military, because the military was a proud and respectable profession then. Charles Chandler, who was Tiv, married Chinyere who I think is from Imo State. IBB married Maryam from Asaba and Mamman Vatsa married the princess.”

“So Chinyere became a widow and resorted to trading between UK and Nigeria. And then she was caught with drugs; Mamman Vatsa was the person who put Chinyere on the next available flight from Kano to London – and then claimed that she was dead by parading a dead woman picked out of the mortuary. Dele Giwa later found out that she was in London having delivered a baby by another man.”

“He sent a French photographer to the place, and they saw Maryam Babangida at the event. Kayode Soyinka brought back the photographs. Dele was sitting across the table from Kayode examining the photos taken of “Gloria Okon” (Chinyere, Richard Chandler’s wife) at the naming ceremony in London. Maryam Babangida was there. And then a letter parcel was delivered to him, and he said excitedly that it must be from “Mr. President” referring to the discussions he had with IBB days earlier. The bomb exploded and severed his lower abdomen; he died a few hours later. “

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