On April 22, 1985, Gloria Okon, a 35- year- old woman, was arrested by the National Security Organization (NSO) at Aminu Kano International Airport. She was accused of attempting to smuggle suspected heroin and other illegal drugs. Gloria was preparing to travel from Nigeria to England when she was caught with 56. 70 grams of the substances, along with 301 dollars, 60 pounds sterling, N20, 000, and 19, 000 Italian lira.

News of Gloria Okon' s arrest quickly spread through both local and international media. Nigerians were keen to learn her fate since, at the time, Decree No. 20 under the Buhari military regime mandated the death penalty for anyone caught with hard drugs. However, on April 28, 1985, just six days after her arrest, Gloria Okon died under mysterious and controversial circumstances while in custody. According to the medical report, she died of food poisoning. It was noted that she showed no signs of illness upon her arrest but fell ill the next day. A customs officer who was with her stated that she had requested rice and beans on the day she was arrested, which she was given. She later began to complain of discomfort and subsequently died.

Before her death, Gloria Okon was interrogated but remained silent. The only clue she gave was the name Bassey, without a surname, which stalled the investigation. None of her relatives came forward to claim her body, adding more mystery to the case. After Babangida ousted Buhari from power, prominent Nigerian lawyer Gani Fawehinmi attempted to reopen the investigation into Gloria Okon' s case. However, he faced obstacles from top security agents Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun, who were loyal to Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.