Fans and media follow three weeks of bowel movements, which produce no evidence that comedian smuggled cocaine in stomach
The scene could have been taken from one of the larger-than-life Nollywood films comedies that made Baba Suwe one of Nigeria's most popular actors. But a judge was deadly serious when she asked the comedian, who had spent three weeks in jail on suspicion of smuggling drugs in his stomach: "So you've been to the toilet how many times?"
Tens of thousands of fans, the national drug enforcement agency and two legal teams have been in thrall to the actor's next release, so to speak. But Suwe's failure produce a single bag of cocaine in any of the 18 or so bowel movements detectives have been closely monitoring has turned into an embarrassment for the agency – and a running joke in the local media.
Suwe, 58, real name Babatunde Omidina, is often cast as a goofy security guard in the wildly popular Nigerian film industry, known as Nollywood. But the roles appeared to have been reversed when, apparently acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics agents arrested the comedian at Lagos airport on 12 October. They said scans revealed "multiple hyper-dense nodular particles in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, consistent with large amount of drug ingestion".
Alternatively, according to other officers interviewed by a newspaper, Suwe's bowel movements were consistent with overeating a local grain porridge known as garri.
Either way, prosecutors didn't get the discharge they were expecting. After three weeks of drug-free stools, an unimpressed judge, Yetunde Idowu, at Lagos high court said on Friday the actor was free to go with 500,000 naira (£2,000) bail.
Nigerians following the saga have been full of helpful advice on TV shows and internet chatrooms, much of it revolving around preferred laxatives.
Others claim Suwe invoked the same powerful juju as the nation's most famous musician. In 1974, afrobeat musician Fela Kuti immortalised his own experience at the hands of the drug enforcement agency with a now-legendary album. Kuti was hauled into custody as police waited for evidence of a planted joint he'd swallowed to avoid detection. Instead, with the help of his juju abilities – and fellow inmates – Fela went on to produce a clean sample – and the LP Expensive Shit.
The scene could have been taken from one of the larger-than-life Nollywood films comedies that made Baba Suwe one of Nigeria's most popular actors. But a judge was deadly serious when she asked the comedian, who had spent three weeks in jail on suspicion of smuggling drugs in his stomach: "So you've been to the toilet how many times?"
Tens of thousands of fans, the national drug enforcement agency and two legal teams have been in thrall to the actor's next release, so to speak. But Suwe's failure produce a single bag of cocaine in any of the 18 or so bowel movements detectives have been closely monitoring has turned into an embarrassment for the agency – and a running joke in the local media.
Suwe, 58, real name Babatunde Omidina, is often cast as a goofy security guard in the wildly popular Nigerian film industry, known as Nollywood. But the roles appeared to have been reversed when, apparently acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics agents arrested the comedian at Lagos airport on 12 October. They said scans revealed "multiple hyper-dense nodular particles in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, consistent with large amount of drug ingestion".
Alternatively, according to other officers interviewed by a newspaper, Suwe's bowel movements were consistent with overeating a local grain porridge known as garri.
Either way, prosecutors didn't get the discharge they were expecting. After three weeks of drug-free stools, an unimpressed judge, Yetunde Idowu, at Lagos high court said on Friday the actor was free to go with 500,000 naira (£2,000) bail.
Nigerians following the saga have been full of helpful advice on TV shows and internet chatrooms, much of it revolving around preferred laxatives.
Others claim Suwe invoked the same powerful juju as the nation's most famous musician. In 1974, afrobeat musician Fela Kuti immortalised his own experience at the hands of the drug enforcement agency with a now-legendary album. Kuti was hauled into custody as police waited for evidence of a planted joint he'd swallowed to avoid detection. Instead, with the help of his juju abilities – and fellow inmates – Fela went on to produce a clean sample – and the LP Expensive Shit.