The National Security Organization (NSO) detained Gloria Okon, 35, at the Aminu Kano International Airport on April 22, 1985, for allegedly smuggling heroin and other hard drugs.
When she was discovered in possession of 56.17 grammes of the substances, 301 dollars, 60 pounds sterling, N20,000, and 19,000 Italian lire, she was on her way to England from Nigeria.
Both domestic and foreign media were inundated with reports of Gloria Okon’s arrest. Nigerians were eager to learn her fate at the time because Decree No. Anyone found in possession of hard drugs will be executed, according to Article 20 of the Buhari military junta. Gloria Okon passed away mysteriously and in the spotlight while in custody on April 28, 1985, six days after her arrest.
She died as a result of food poisoning, according to the medical report. She reportedly didn’t exhibit any symptoms of illness when she was arrested until the day after. Gloria Okon was detained by a customs official who claimed that on the day of her arrest, she asked for rice and beans and received them; however, after starting to complain, she passed away.
She was questioned prior to her passing but would not cooperate. She didn’t leave much of a trail; all she did was mention Bassey without providing a second name, which led to a dead end in the investigation. No relatives of Gloria Okon showed up to claim her body, according to information obtained by Aprokosay.com, which further illuminated the grisly aspect of the story.
After Babangida toppled Buhari, prominent Nigerian attorney Gani Fawehinmi attempted to reopen the Gloria Okon case investigation but ran into Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun, two of Gen. Babangida’s top security officials. Mr. Ibrahim Babangida.
Gloria Okon’s case remains unsolved, leading to a number of rumors that spread rapidly among Nigerians. Gloria Okon was allegedly killed so that the truth wouldn’t come out because she was employed by first lady Mariam Babangida. Additionally, some people thought Gloria Okon’s death was staged and that the body that was sent to her family was not actually hers. Additionally, it was claimed that she was carrying on with her regular life while portrayed as being dead in Nigeria while living it abroad.
Gloria Okon is actually Chinyere; that is her real name, according to Professor Taiyemiwo Ogunade, who spoke with THE NATION in June 2009. She wed Charles “Jeff” Chandler, the assassin of Nzeogwu who died a day later. Princess Atta, Maryam, and Chinyere were close friends who frequently hung out together. The military was a proud and prestigious profession back then, so they all married into it. Tiv Charles Chandler married Chinyere, who I believe is from Imo State. Mamman Vatsa wed the princess, while IBB wed Maryam, an Asaba native.
As a result, Chinyere lost her husband and turned to trading between the UK and Nigeria. Mamman Vatsa put Chinyere on the next flight from Kano to London after she was discovered to be in possession of drugs, and later claimed she had died by parading another deceased person they had chosen from the mortuary. She was in London when Dele Giwa later learned that she had given birth to a child by a different man. He sent a French photographer, and when they arrived, they saw Maryam Babangida attending the event. Photographs were brought back by Kayode Soyinka. Dele was examining the photographs of “Gloria Okon” (Chinyere, Richard Chandler’s wife) from the naming ceremony in London while seated across the table from Kayode. It included Maryam Babangida. Then, when a letter package was brought to him, he exclaimed with excitement, “Mr. President,” making reference to the conversations he had with IBB days earlier. A few hours after the bomb detonated and severed his lower abdomen, he passed away.
Dele Giwa following the bombing assassination.
The enigmatic case of Gloria Okon has not been solved as of yet, and no one appears to be interested in reopening the case that has already been closed. A question worth asking: Will the case be reopened?
