Crime
Church General Overseer arrested with drugs at Lagos airport
. As NDLEA seizes 40 parcels of Cocaine at MMIA; consignments of Heroin, Codeine, Tramadol at Apapa port, Kaduna, Yobe, Anambra
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 while on his way to a three-week crusade in Nairobi, Kenya, with 54 sticks of drugs wrapped around his body.
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.
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.
In a related development, a 63-year-old Vincent Obimma was on Friday 11th March 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.
Meanwhile, a drug dealer in Kaduna state, James Okenwa has been arrested in a follow up operation at Central Market, Kaduna.
He admitted the ownership of 1,807 bottles of cough syrup with codeine that were earlier recovered from two suspects at tollgate.
At the point of his arrest, another 152 bottles of the drug were recovered from his vehicle. He has accepted ownership of all the 1,959 bottles of the codeine syrup.
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.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa Port, Kaduna, Yobe and Anambra Commands of the Agency for the impressive seizures and arrests in the past week, Chairman/ Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their colleagues across the country to stay focussed and intensify efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs and substances.
Crime
Thieves cart away cows meant for church harvest celebration
Suspected thieves have carted away two cows from the premises of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Testimony Parish in the Egbeda area of Oyo state.
In a post published on its Facebook page, the church said the stolen cows, bought at N1.9 million, were meant for its annual adult harvest thanksgiving celebration.
The incident happened on November 11 as the church prepared for the celebration slated for November 17.
After days of searching for the missing cows, the church solicited for financial contributions to buy new cows for the harvest celebration.
“Dear Celestians and The General public, This 2 Huge Cows was stolen where it was Tied in The Church Premises at CCC Testimony parish Elerumoke Area, Egbeda, Iyana Ajia and its meant for slaughter for the 9th adult harvest thanksgiving of the church coming up this Sunday 17th November 2024,” the church wrote on Facebook.
“We hereby solicit for your prayer for quick recovery of this harvest thanksgiving sacrificial materials.
“Anybody with useful information on how to recover these cows or any means of assistance to make the harvest thanksgiving a beautiful one should contact the parish shepherd.”
Crime
NDLEA arrests businessman for smuggling cocaine through ingestion
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the arrest of a businessman caught with a large quantity of cocaine.
Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed the arrest on Sunday via his X account, accompanied by a video displaying the seized contraband.
The businessman, whose identity has not been disclosed, reportedly ingested a substantial quantity of cocaine in an attempt to avoid detection.
Babafemi wrote, “Detty December: Before you swallow those drugs, please remember that the new @ndlea_nigeria has the capacity and capability to catch you.
“The businessman who excreted this amount of cocaine will not only spend Christmas behind bars but also risks a life sentence at the end of his trial. Beware!”
Crime
UK teenager risks 20 years in Dubai prison for sex with 17-year-old girl
An 18-year-old British boy has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl in Dubai.
Detained in Dubai, a group of UAE legal experts, said the teenager was on holiday with his parents when he met the girl — who is now 18 — at the same hotel.
The teenagers who are both from London were said to have made plans to continue their romance when they returned to the UK.
The group, which campaigns to help people it says have suffered injustice in the UAE, said the young man was charged because the girl’s mother found their chats and pictures back in the UK.
It was gathered that the woman subsequently contacted police in Dubai and he was arrested.
The boy however claimed he was unaware that the girl was younger than him when they met. The teenager also disclosed that he was in police custody for three days and was unable to contact his parents.
“We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict,” he told Detained in Dubai.
“My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn’t tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy.
“When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again when I got home. Then suddenly, police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t tell me why. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.”
The teenager, it is understood, could face up to two decades in prison owing to Dubai’s strict laws regarding sex outside marriage.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of the campaign group, said Dubai recently legalised out-of-wedlock sex for tourists but “still hosts a strict Islamic legal system”.
“Sex outside marriage is legal for tourists but only if both parties are over 18. The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus and he didn’t know that at the time,” Stirling said.
“Since his arrest, she has turned 18. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting.
“Parents will be scared to take their older teenagers on vacation with them where they could end up losing their lives over behaviour that’s completely legal in their own countries.”
The teenager and his family have called on foreign secretary David Lammy, their local MP, to intervene in the case.
The teenager is no longer being held in a police cell but is unable to leave the country, with his family facing bills of £2,000 for Airbnb accommodation until his case is resolved.
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