The Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Rev. Ugochukwu Emmanuel Ekwem, the General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church with 54 sticks of drugs wrapped around his body at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The popular pastor was arrested by the Agency while on his way to a three-week crusade in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mr Femi Babafemi, the Agency PPRO who disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Church General Overseer arrested with drugs at Lagos airport’, said when the drugs were tested, the 54 sticks proved positive to cannabis .
According to the statement, “the clergyman confessed during a preliminary interview that he packed that quantity of illicit substance on his body to use during his three weeks crusade in Kenya.”
Ekwem, who has his church headquarters in Isuaniocha, Mgbakwu road, Awka, Awka North LGA, Anambra state and two other branches in Lagos and Abuja, was arrested on Monday 7th March, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi via Addis Ababa.
Part of the statement read,
“On the same day, another passenger, Nnakeanyi Chukwuka King who arrived the airport on Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa was intercepted during the inward clearance of passengers at the E-Arrival Hall of the MMIA. During a search of his luggage, forty (40) parcels of cocaine concealed inside bottles of body cream with a gross weight of 9.70kg were recovered from the suspect.
“Three days later, Wednesday 9th March, another passenger on Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy, Mr. Edo Blessing was intercepted at the Departure Hall of the airport with 2, 090 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and Flunitrazepam. The suspect who hails from Edo state but lives in Italy claimed ownership of the recovered psychotropic substances.
“Also on the same day, operatives arrested a freight agent, Rafiu Abbas at the NAHCO Export Shed of the airport when he presented a cargo containing 19.15kg cannabis going to London.
The illicit substance was concealed inside plastic containers labelled as “African Dishes” and packed in a bag.