Nigerian-British businessman dies after penile filler procedure in Thailand

Nigerian-British businessman and social media influencer, Igho Ubiribo, died in Thailand after undergoing a penile filler procedure, with Thai health authorities now investigating the clinic where he received the treatment.

Ubiribo, 43, also known as “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, died in March while on holiday in Thailand with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen.

According to Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support, under the Ministry of Public Health, Ubiribo had been a regular patient at the Bangkok clinic since 2024 and had undergone five procedures to enlarge his penis.

The department disclosed this on Tuesday after its officials, working with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, inspected the clinic on September 7 following the death.

HOW THE INCIDENT HAPPENED

According to the DHSS, emergency medical services received a request for an ambulance on March 5, 2026, from a private hospital in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area for a patient who had lost consciousness.

The authorities said Ubiribo’s wife told the medical team that he had undergone a filler injection earlier that day and subsequently went for a massage.

He reportedly complained of chest pain and lost consciousness twice before being taken to Sukhumvit Hospital.

Doctors suspected a blood clot and prepared to conduct a CT angiography to examine his blood vessels. However, while preparations were being made, Ubiribo became unconscious and had no pulse.

Medical personnel commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He died in the early hours of March 6, according to the report.

PUNCH had earlier reported that about 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine were injected during the final procedure.

A postmortem examination subsequently found material in Ubiribo’s lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used during the procedure.

Evidence presented at a UK inquest had previously indicated that the treatment caused a fatal pulmonary embolism.

FIVE PROCEDURES

The Thai health authorities said the clinic told investigators that Ubiribo had undergone five penile-enlargement injections.

The first four procedures were reportedly carried out between 2024 and 2025, while the fifth was performed on March 5, 2026, the day before his death.

The final procedure involved the injection of 40cc of filler.

According to the clinic, the doctor recommended that the injection be divided into two sessions, but Ubiribo opted to receive it in a single session.

The clinic said it provided post-procedure care instructions and followed up with him, adding that he did not report any problems following the treatment.

It also said he signed consent forms before each procedure.

THAI AUTHORITIES BEGIN INVESTIGATION

The investigation followed a directive by Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Pattana Promphat, to the Department of Health Service Support and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the clinic.

DHSS Director-General, Phuwadej Surakhot, said the authorities would gather all relevant facts and evidence before referring the professional-practice aspect of the case to Thailand’s Medical Council.

“We will gather all facts and evidence to proceed according to our authority and submit the case to the Medical Council for a ruling on professional practice standards, in order to ensure fairness to all parties,” Surakhot said.

The Thai authorities have not announced a finding of malpractice against the clinic.

The investigation is continuing as officials determine whether the clinic and the medical professionals involved complied with the required standards.

DOCTOR WARNS OF RISKS

Following Ubiribo’s death, aesthetic medicine and dermatology physician, Dr Mobola Savage, warned that penile filler procedures were not without risks.

“Non-surgical does not mean risk-free. Penile filler is still an invasive medical procedure involving highly vascular anatomy,” Savage said.

She explained that the procedure Ubiribo underwent was not conventional penile-enlargement surgery but a non-surgical penile augmentation procedure intended primarily to increase penile girth.

The Thai investigation is expected to establish whether professional and regulatory standards were followed and whether any further action should be taken against the clinic or practitioners involved.