According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the clergyman admitted after a preliminary questioning that he carried a large amount of illegal substance on his body to use during his three-week crusade in Kenya.

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, March 7 during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi via Addis Ababa.

On the same day, Nnakeanyi Chukwuka King, a passenger arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Addis Ababa, was detained during passenger ingress clearance at the MMIA’s E-Arrival Hall.

During a search of his baggage, the suspect was discovered with 40 parcels of cocaine hidden within bottles of body cream weighing a total of 9.70kg.

Also, on March 9, 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.

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.

In a related development, a 63-year-old Vincent Obimma was on Friday, March 11 arrested with 350grams of cocaine and 150grams of heroin by NDLEA operatives at a park in the Apapa seaport corridor in Lagos.

The drugs were hidden in industrial torch packets heading to Kano, Kano State.