𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒉-𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑵𝑫𝑳𝑬𝑨 𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅

British-Nigerian businessman and social media personality Igho Ubiribo, popularly known as "Tiny," "Denisi" or "Ego," has died in Thailand after complications from a cosmetic procedure. He was 43.

The father of one passed away in the early hours of March 6 at Sukhumvit Hospital in Bangkok. His death has also brought back memories of a 2023 case in which he and his wife were declared wanted by Nigeria’s anti-drug agency.

According to details presented at an inquest at Inner West London Coroners’ Court, Ubiribo had travelled to Bangkok in March with his wife, fashion designer Danielle Simba Allen, for what the couple described as a luxury vacation.

While there, he underwent a cosmetic enhancement procedure at a clinic. According to evidence at the inquest, about 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid mixed with lidocaine was injected into his body. The name of the clinic was not made public.

After the procedure, the couple went to a spa for a massage. It was there that Ubiribo began experiencing chest pains and collapsed on two occasions. 

He was rushed to hospital. At first, he was conscious and spoke with medical staff. His wife informed doctors about the recent injection. But before a CT scan could be carried out, he became unconscious.

Doctors diagnosed him with a pulmonary embolism a blockage in the blood vessels of the lungs. He was moved to intensive care where medical teams performed CPR for more than 100 minutes. He did not survive.

A postmortem conducted later in the UK detected material in his lungs consistent with the substance used during the Bangkok procedure. Delivering her findings, Coroner Jean Harkin stated that the cosmetic procedure led to the fatal embolism.

According to his public Instagram posts, Ubiribo had about 185,000 followers. He often shared content about his lifestyle, luxury cars, and properties in London and Los Angeles. He married Allen in a wedding ceremony in Zimbabwe in 2022.

The 2023 NDLEA Case Resurfaces

Ubiribo’s name first made national headlines in April 2023 when the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, declared him and his wife wanted.

The agency said they, along with Port Harcourt-based prophetess Faith Ugochi, were being investigated over alleged links to an international drug trafficking syndicate.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said at the time that the group was suspected of recruiting teenage girls to traffic illicit substances. The case began after 32.7kg of cannabis, popularly called "loud," was allegedly found concealed in cartons of used clothing and intercepted at Lagos airport in November 2022.

According to NDLEA, investigators traced the shipment to a network allegedly run by Ubiribo and his wife from Los Angeles. A freight agent, Ukoh Ifeanyi Oguguo, was arrested. That led to four other arrests, including a 15-year-old girl, Favour Chikodi, who was picked up at a filling station in Ajah, Lagos.

NDLEA stated that the teenager led operatives to a duplex in Ikate, Lekki, which was allegedly rented by the syndicate and where young girls were said to have been kept to help market and distribute the drugs. Another suspect, Shalom Obiyom, a graduate of Rivers State University, was also arrested at the location.

The agency also said a letter of invitation was sent to Prophetess Faith Ugochi at her church in Mile 2, Port Harcourt, and was received by her mother.

It is not clear if the case against Ubiribo and his wife was ever concluded in court before his death.

Family, friends and followers have since taken to social media to mourn him.