A pastor with the Gospel Faith Mission International, Ipaja, a suburb of Lagos, has been arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, for attempting to import 1.978 kg of substances suspected to be narcotics.
The pastor, identified as Daniel Lanre Akintola was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Mr Mitchel Ofoyeju, the agency’s Head of Public Affairs announced the arrest in a statement in Lagos.
He said the agency’s commander at the airport, Mr Nsikak-Abasi Udoh, said that the pastor was arrested when he was trying to abandon his luggage at the arrival hall for fear of arrest.
“Mr Daniel Lanre Akintola unlawfully possessed 1.978kg of heroin while returning from Entebbe, a major town in Central Uganda.
“He wanted to abandon the luggage but we detected his intention.
“The drug was carefully concealed in a false bottom of his luggage,’’ it said.
Ofoyeju also disclosed the arrest of another suspect who wanted to smuggle ephedrine that weighed 51.5kilogrammes to Maputo, Mozambique.
“The second suspect is a businessman who had parcels of ephedrine weighing 51.5kg which he wanted to smuggle to Maputo, Mozambique.’’
“Drug traffickers have no place to hide. Unless they quit their criminal act, the law will take its course. Let me appeal to members of the public to report drug dealers to the nearest NDLEA office,” Ofoyeju quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmed Giade as saying.