Reverend Ekwem Emmanuel Ugochukwu, the founder and General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, was granted bail by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State on Friday after being caught with drugs at the Lagos airport.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had earlier detained the General Overseer for drug trafficking at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, according to Newsclickng.com.
The pastor was apprehended with 54 drug sticks wrapped around his body while on his way to a three-week crusade in Nairobi, Kenya.
The prominent preacher, who owns a church in Isuaniocha, Mgbakwu road, Awka, Awka North LGA, Anambra State, and two more branches in Lagos and Abuja, was detained on Monday, March 7th, when passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight were being cleared out.
Following his arrest, the NDLEA arraigned the suspect on a one-count of unlawful export of the banned drug. He was first arraigned on 29 March.
The charge reads: “That you Ekwem Emmanuel Ugochukwu, male, adult, on or about the 7th day of March 2022 during the outward clearance of passengers of Ethiopia Airlines flight to Kenya at screening 1, Departure Hall of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja-Lagos, without lawful authority exported 40 grammes of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin, and LSD.”
In his ruling on Friday, the presiding judge, Justice Daniel Osiagor, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million with one surety after his “not guilty” plea to a one-count and adjourned the trial to June 26.