THE GLORIA OKON STORY

In 1984, the Muhammadu Buhari-led military government issued Decree 20 which stated that:

"any person who, without lawful authority deals in, sell, smoke or inhale the drug known as cocaine or other similar drugs shall be guilty…….and liable on conviction to suffer death sentence by firing squad."

Therefore, on April 22, 1985, a certain Gloria Okon, whose real name was Chinyere, was about to board a Nigeria Airways flight at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano when she was apprehended and arrested with substances suspected to be heroin which weighed about 57 grammes and other drugs as well as local and foreign currencies.

Gloria Okon was said to be a drug courier for Babangida and his wife. In an exclusive interview with Sahara Reporters published on June 8, 2009, Dr Taiyemiwo Ogunade described the event thus:

“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 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, Chandler’s wife) at the naming ceremony in London. Maryam Babangida was there.”

After the whole ruse, General Muhammadu Buhari, on August 5, 1985, set up a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the arrest and death of Gloria Okon. The report of the investigation was expected to be brought in at the end of the month, but it was a fruitless journey. It never saw the light of the day as Buhari was toppled by Ibrahim Babangida in a military coup 22 days later on August 27, 1985.

So end of the investigation, end of the case.