Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested one Rev. Ugochukwu Emmanuel Ekwem with substances subjected to be hard drugs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
The Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that Rev. Ekwem, the General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, Akwa, Anambra State, was arrested with 54 sticks of cannabis on his way to Kenya.
According to Babafemi, the Clergyman who was arrested on an Ethiopian Airline Flight to Nairobi wanted the 54 sticks of cannabis for his personal use during his three week crusade in Kenya.
Rev Ekwem’s Christ Living Hope Church, has other branches in Abuja and Lagos.
“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested the General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, Rev. Ugochukwu Emmanuel Ekwem at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
“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 to cannabis. The clergyman confessed during preliminary interview that he packed that quantity of illicit substance on his body to use during his three weeks crusade in Kenya.” He said
Babafemi said further that the operatives also found 40 parcels of cocaine on another passenger, Nnakeanyi Chukwuka King, who arrived the airport on Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.
He said that King was intercepted during the inward clearance of passengers at the E-Arrival Hall of the MMIA and a search of his luggage, showed that he was carrying 40 parcels of cocaine weighing 9.7kg.
According Babafemi, the operatives also 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.
He said that the illicit substance was concealed inside plastic containers labelled as “African Dishes” and packed in a bag.
Other arrests include a 63-year-old Vincent Obimma who picked up on March 11 with 350grams of cocaine and 150grams of heroin at a park in the Apapa seaport corridor in Lagos. The drugs were hidden in industrial torch packets heading to Kano, Kano state.
He said further that a drug dealer in Kaduna state, James Okenwa, was arrested in a follow up operation at Central Market, Kaduna and admitted ownership of 1,807 bottles of cough syrup with codeine that were earlier recovered from two suspects at tollgate.
He said that another 152 bottles of the drug were recovered from the vehicle of the suspect at the time of his arrest. Babafemi said that similar arrests were made in Yobe and Anambra states.
“In Yobe state, two fake security agents: Akalonu Justin and Azimbi Festus who were coming from Onitsha and heading to Maiduguri, Borno state have been arrested with 25 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 12 .5kg and 1, 598 bottles of Codeine Syrup weighing 159.8 Liters, while 85kg of cannabis was also recovered from the warehouse of a notorious drug dealer in Pawari area of Damaturu, the state capital on Thursday 10th March.
“In Anambra state, a total of 38,605 tablets of assorted opioids were recovered from a 29-year-old drug dealer, Awoke Friday at Nkwelle junction, Onitsha on Friday 11th March with the support of men of the Nigeria Police.”
The statement quoted the Chairman/ Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa as having charged the operatives to remain focused and intensify the ongoing efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs and substances.
