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The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler - Crime - Nairaland

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The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by BigBelleControl(m): 9:59am On Jun 13, 2017
On the 22nd of April, 1985, the National Security Organization (NSO) arrested a 35-year-old lady named Gloria Okon at the Aminu Kano International airport for smuggling substances suspected to be heroin and other kinds of hard drugs. She was about to leave Nigeria for England when she was caught with 56.70 grammes of the substances, 301 dollars, 60 pounds sterling, N20,000 and 19,000 Italian lira.


The news of Gloria Okon’s apprehension flooded both local and international media. Nigerians were eager to know her fate because then, Decree no. 20 of the Buhari military junta declared anyone caught with hard drugs punishable by death. But on April 28, 1985, six days after Gloria Okon was arrested, she died in a very mysterious and controversial manner while in custody.

Medical report stated that the cause of her death was food poisoning. It was said that she didn’t show any sign of illness when arrested until a day after. A custom officer who kept Gloria Okon in custody said that that on the day she was arrested, she requested for rice and beans and she was given, and later she started complaining then died. Before her death, she was interrogated but refused to talk. She only left a very slim clue; she mentioned the name Bassey but without a second name which dragged the investigation to a dead end.


Oldnaija.com gathered that none of Gloria Okon’s relatives showed up to claim her corpse and that further shed light on the dark part of the saga.
After Babangida removed Buhari from power,
Gani Fawehinmi , a prolific lawyer, set to revive the investigation of Gloria Okon’s case but ended up crashing into the walls of Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun, top security agents of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.


In the absence of no conclusion on Gloria Okon’s case, several speculations began to spread like wildfire among Nigerians. Some believed that Gloria Okon was working for the first lady, Mariam Babangida , and Okon was killed so that she won’t reveal the secret. Some people also believed that Gloria Okon’s death was faked and the corpse sent to her family was not hers. It was also said that she was living her normal life over the seas while portrayed dead in Nigeria.
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. ”

Till today, the mysterious case of Gloria Okon has not been solved and no one seem not to be interested in re-opening the closed case; permanently closed case? A question worth asking.


https://oldnaija.com/2017/06/08/the-story-of-gloria-okon-nigerias-controversial-female-drug-smuggler/

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Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by Prevho: 10:01am On Jun 13, 2017
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Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by Elmojiid(m): 10:22am On Jun 13, 2017
what is the title of the movie..
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by Oladimejyy(m): 10:46am On Jun 13, 2017
Elmojiid:
what is the title of the movie..
Igbos king of drug lords

4 Likes

Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by HisGrace0000001(m): 11:17am On Apr 23, 2020
Sir naptu2.
What's your version of this story please?
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by wink2015(m): 5:05pm On Nov 06, 2021
General Ibrahim Babangida really committed a lot of crime and use his office to close out the case.
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by Boogyman557: 5:26pm On Nov 06, 2021
HOLLY GRAM cool NA CORRECT GIRL B DAT. SAMANKWE 4 U.. SAME REASON I HIGH ON MY KUSH 24sc. WTF MAN

1 Like

Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by DSC7: 5:54pm On Nov 06, 2021
Bubu have always been a bad guy.....
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by DoctorDree(m): 7:36pm On Nov 06, 2021
During the time of no nonsense
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by andyanders: 1:15am On Nov 07, 2021
Op, u should have mentioned Bartholomew and Ogedengbe that were executed. This lead the uk, stop Nigerians free visa entry to britain and other countries followed. Bubu messed up Nigeria then and now.
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by epondudu: 5:27am On Nov 07, 2021
It's a good given talent, its inbreed, it's in their DNA. undecided

2 Likes

Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by Melonsmasher: 7:51am On Sep 09, 2022
IBB network
Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by 0monnak0da: 8:59am On Feb 23, 2023
andyanders:
Op, u should have mentioned Bartholomew and Ogedengbe that were executed. This lead the uk, stop Nigerians free visa entry to britain and other countries followed. Bubu messed up Nigeria then and now.
3 people were executed
Lawal Ojuolape
Bernard Ogedengbe
Bartholomew Owoh
the third was Nkem Owoh's brother

1 Like

Re: The Story Of Gloria Okon, Nigeria’s Controversial Female Drug Smuggler by babygirljoy: 1:22pm On Feb 23, 2023

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