The shocking death of Nigerian-British social media influencer and businessman, Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo, has taken another dramatic turn after it emerged that he was once declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Ubiribo, 43, died in Thailand after undergoing a cosmetic penis-enlargement procedure that later resulted in a fatal pulmonary embolism.
But behind the luxury lifestyle, expensive holidays and social-media fame was an unresolved drug-trafficking case that had placed the influencer on the wanted list of Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency.
In April 2023, the NDLEA publicly declared Ubiribo and his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, wanted over alleged links to an international drug-trafficking syndicate.
The agency accused the couple of being the alleged arrowheads of a syndicate operating from Los Angeles, United States, and alleged that the group recruited teenage girls to distribute illicit drugs in Nigeria.
The case came to light after NDLEA operatives intercepted 32.70 kilogrammes of “Loud”, a strong strain of cannabis, concealed in cartons of used clothes at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in November 2022.
Several suspects were subsequently arrested and prosecuted, while investigations allegedly linked Ubiribo and his wife to the operation.
The NDLEA said attempts to get the couple to appear for questioning failed.
According to the agency, Ubiribo and Allen were invited and reminders were sent after they failed to honour the initial invitation. While another suspect was said to have gone into hiding, the agency reported that Ubiribo and his wife eventually became unresponsive to its efforts to question them.
The NDLEA also alleged that money traced to a company linked to the couple was moved after the investigation began.
Despite being declared wanted, there is no indication in the publicly available NDLEA reports that Ubiribo was ever arrested or brought before a Nigerian court over the allegations before his death.
His case therefore remained unresolved when he died in Thailand.
FROM WANTED MAN TO LUXURY INFLUENCER
Ubiribo, also known as “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, was known for flaunting an extravagant lifestyle on social media and had more than 185,000 Instagram followers.
He was also known to have moved in celebrity circles, including being associated with Nigerian music star Davido, adding to his public profile.
But it was his final trip to Thailand that would make international headlines.
Ubiribo travelled to Bangkok with his wife, Danielle, for what was described as a luxury holiday. During the trip, he underwent a penile enlargement procedure at an unidentified clinic.
Reports from the UK coroner’s inquest said about 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine were injected into his penis.
After the procedure, he and his wife reportedly returned to their hotel and went for a massage.
It was during the massage that he complained of chest pain and collapsed.
He was rushed to Sukhumvit Hospital, where doctors suspected a pulmonary embolism.
He subsequently lost consciousness and could not be revived despite prolonged efforts by medical personnel.
A UK postmortem later found material in his lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used in the procedure, and a coroner ruled that the cosmetic treatment had caused the fatal pulmonary embolism.
DEATH CLOSES CHAPTER ON UNRESOLVED CASE
Ubiribo’s death has now brought renewed attention to the 2023 NDLEA allegations, although being declared wanted or accused by the agency did not amount to a conviction.
The NDLEA had said at the time that other suspects linked to the alleged syndicate had already been charged and were facing trial.
Ubiribo, however, never appeared to face trial in Nigeria before his death.
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