NDLEA Arrests Celestial Church Pastor and Wife with 11kg of Skunk Hidden in Vehicle
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant arrest involving a religious leader and his spouse in Lagos State. Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, who serves as the leader of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, in the Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry, and his wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, 35, were taken into custody on Thursday, April 2, at the Gbaji checkpoint.
Discovery of Concealed Drugs
According to a detailed statement released by the agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, a thorough search of the couple's Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of 11 kilograms of skunk. The illegal substance was cleverly concealed in altered and hidden compartments within the vehicle. "A search of their Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of blocks of skunk weighing 11kg concealed in hidden parts of their vehicle," Babafemi confirmed.
Connection to Earlier Interception
The arrest of the pastor and his wife followed an earlier operation at the same checkpoint on Monday, March 30. During that incident, NDLEA operatives apprehended a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, while he was transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from the Seme border to Lagos. Investigations into this seizure reportedly provided leads that resulted in the arrest of the cleric and his spouse.
Babafemi explained: "The arrest of the couple followed the apprehension of a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, at the same checkpoint on Monday, 30th March, while conveying 24.5kg skunk from Seme border to Lagos. The development was part of a series of operations conducted by the anti-narcotics agency across the country within the past week."
Additional Drug Busts Across Nigeria
In a related operation, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were hidden in tins of palm kernel extract destined for the United Kingdom. Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested in connection with this seizure.
Subsequent intelligence-guided operations led to the capture of Ezemuwo Joel, believed to have sent the drugs, and the alleged mastermind of the drug ring, 52-year-old King Arinze, in Isolo, Lagos. Items recovered from Arinze's warehouse included 886 tins prepared for drug concealment and various packaging tools.
Female Terrorist Drug Supplier Arrested in Borno
In a separate but equally significant operation in Borno State, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, April 1, intercepted a female drug supplier to bandit groups operating between the North East and Chad. The suspect, 28-year-old Aisha Adamu, was arrested along Gamboru Ngala road in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.
Nationwide Drug Enforcement Efforts
The NDLEA's statement also detailed several other arrests and seizures made across the country during the past week:
- Confiscation of 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa State
- Recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Edo State
- Apprehension of a suspected drug dealer in Ibadan who reportedly used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute drugs
Leadership Commitment to Anti-Drug Campaign
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, praised the officers involved in these operations. He emphasized the agency's determination to pursue drug traffickers regardless of their status or the methods they employ to conceal their activities.
"These successful operations are a testament to the agency's evolving intelligence capabilities and our unwavering commitment to choking the supply lines of drug cartels. Whether they hide behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or complex concealment methods, we will find them," Marwa declared.
The NDLEA's recent series of operations demonstrates the agency's intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking across Nigeria, targeting both high-profile individuals and organized criminal networks involved in the illicit drug trade.
