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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, Rev. Ugochukwu Emmanuel Ekwem, for alleged drug trafficking at Lagos Airport.
Confirming the arrest, Director, Media and Advocacy (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Babafemi, said Ekwem was caught at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, while preparing to board a plane to Kenya.
The arrest occurred on Monday, March 7, 2022, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi via Addis Ababa.
The 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 said to be on his to the East African country for a three-day crusade.
Babafemi said 54 sticks of drugs were wrapped around the man of God's body.
According to the NDLEA Spokesman, the pastor has confessed that he packed the drug to use during his three weeks crusade in Kenya.
“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,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to step up the fight against illicit drug use and trafficking, the agency recently graduated 650 of its operatives from the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State.
The operatives drawn from the agency’s Strike Force unit went through weeks of rigorous specialised training.
Babafemi stated after the graduation that the agency’s chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, admonished the operatives to bear in mind that the training was a milestone in their careers.