A Nigerian-British businessman and social media celebrity, 43-year-old Igho Ubiribo, has died after a penis enhancement treatment while on holiday in Thailand.
A UK coroner has determined the cosmetic operation contributed to a deadly pulmonary embolism, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
Ubiribo, nicknamed “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, was supposedly on a luxury holiday in Bangkok with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, when he chose to get the operation.
Ubiribo was injected with 40ml of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine into his penis at an undisclosed facility in Thailand in March, The Daily Mail said.
After the treatment, Ubiribo and his wife are said to have gone for a massage at their Marriott hotel.
At the end of the massage he complained of chest pains and passed out twice.
He was transferred to Sukhumvit Hospital by ambulance and was initially able to answer questions.
Allen told physicians her spouse had recently received penile filler injections, an inquest at Inner West London Coroners’ Court heard.
Doctors believed Ubiribo might have a pulmonary embolism and suggested a CT scan.
But he apparently lost consciousness before the scan could be done.
He was then taken to a critical care unit, where medical workers tried to revive him using cardiopulmonary resuscitation for more than 100 minutes.
Ubiribo died in the early hours of 6th March.
Findings after death
A post-mortem study in the UK identified cellular debris in the lungs of Ubiribo that was consistent with the hyaluronic acid used in the penile filler.
Pathologist John du Parcq told the inquest the compound in Ubiribo’s lungs was consistent with the drug used during the cosmetic operation.
He stated the discovery was consistent with a pulmonary embolism and the autopsy done in Thailand also confirmed the findings.
Coroner Jean Harkin later determined that Ubiribo died of a pulmonary embolism triggered by the cosmetic treatment.
A pulmonary embolism is when a blood artery that supplies the lungs gets clogged. It can be life-threatening because it can suddenly block blood supply to the lungs and put tremendous strain on the heart.
Ubiribo’s primary care doctor in London gave evidence at the inquest about his medical history.
He had had joint surgery before and was described as pre-diabetic and as suffering from gout.
But the doctor reportedly said that he did not have any other major medical problems.
Hyaluronic acid penile fillers are a non-surgical approach to increase the penis girth.
But medical doctors have warned that injectable fillers could lead to potentially dangerous problems.
Procedures like these can cost thousands of dollars, and the benefits of hyaluronic acid fillers normally last several months before the material is slowly removed by the body.
•Igho Ubiribo and Zimbabwean Wife Danielle Simba Allen
Luxury Lifestyle
Ubiribo was notorious for flaunting his rich lifestyle on social media and has around 185,000 followers on Instagram.
The businessman was said to have had a house in Los Angeles for approximately $1.1m and a flat in London worth roughly $600,000.
In 2022 he wed fashion designer and socialite Allen in a grandiose ceremony held in Zimbabwe.
After his death, Ubiribo was buried in a gold coffin in London, reportedly worth more than $600,000.
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido was among those who attended the funeral.
Davido, who is claimed to be a boyhood buddy of Ubiribo, was reported to have spoken at the funeral and expressed shock over his death.
“Ubiribo was a man with a lot of energy and a great presence and it’s hard to accept he’s dead,” he said.
The case has revived concerns about the possible dangers of cosmetic penis augmentation treatments using injectable fillers.
While hyaluronic acid is a common additive in cosmetic surgeries, Ubiribo’s story underscores the potentially deadly problems that can result from such procedures.
The coroner’s finding was based on information given at the inquest linking the substance detected in Ubiribo’s lungs to hyaluronic acid used in the cosmetic treatment.
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