Drug deal: Christ Living Hope Church GO, Pastor Ekwem Ugochukwu gets N2m bail

A Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded the General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, Reverend Ekwem Emmanuel Ugochukwu, for exporting 40 grammes of Cannabis Sativa, also known as marijuana, to Kenya.

The court said Ekwm will remain in prison custody until he meet his N2million bail condition.

Justice Daniel Osiagor made the order following Ugochukwu’s “not guilty” plea to a one-count charge of unlawful export of the banned drug during his March 29, arraignment by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

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.

According to NDLEA prosecutor Augustine Nwagu, the offence contravened Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act, 2004.”

Following the cleric’s plea, Mr. Nwagu applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand Ugochukwu in Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) custody.

The defendant’s counsel, Benson Ndakara, did not oppose the application for trial but contended that a remand order was unnecessary.