The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Ugochukwu Ekwem, general overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, and seized 54 sticks of drugs wrapped around his body.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said Ekwem was apprehended at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on March 7, while on his way to Kenya for a three-week crusade.
According to Babafemi, a laboratory test revealed that the sticks tested positive for cannabis.
He said that the youthful and popular preacher 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.
When tested, the 54 sticks proved positive for cannabis. He said that the clergyman confessed during the preliminary interview that he packed that quantity of illicit substance on his body to use during his three weeks crusade in Kenya.
The Agency also said that on the same day, another passenger, Nnakeanyi Chukwuka King who arrived at the airport on an 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.
It also said that on Wednesday 9th March, another passenger on an 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.
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