NDLEA Arrests Pastor, Wife For Alleged Drug Trafficking
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a pastor and his wife in Lagos after allegedly discovering 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle.
The suspects, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, said to be in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, were apprehended on Thursday, April 2, at the Gbaji checkpoint.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the couple was arrested after officers searched their Honda Pilot SUV and found the illicit substance hidden in modified sections of the vehicle.
Babafemi said, “The pastor in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry in Lagos State, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Mrs Success Hodonu, 35, were on Thursday, 2nd April, arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gbaji checkpoint.
“A search of their Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of blocks of skunk weighing 11kg concealed in hidden parts of their vehicle.”
He explained that the arrest followed an earlier operation at the same checkpoint on Monday, March 30, when operatives apprehended a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, allegedly transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from Seme border to Lagos.
Babafemi said investigations into that seizure later led to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.
He added that the operation formed part of a string of anti-drug raids carried out by the agency across the country within the past week.
In another operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in tins of palm kernel extract meant for export to the United Kingdom.
Babafemi said two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
He added that further intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of the alleged sender, Ezemuwo Joel, and the suspected syndicate kingpin, King Arinze, 52, in Isolo, Lagos.
According to him, items recovered from the warehouse included 886 tins prepared for drug concealment and tools allegedly used for packaging.
In Borno State, NDLEA also arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, described as a suspected drug supplier to armed groups operating between the North-East and Chad.
Babafemi said she was intercepted along Gamboru Ngala road on Wednesday, April 1, with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
The agency also reported other arrests and seizures across the country, including 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa, the recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Edo State, and the arrest of a suspected dealer in Ibadan who allegedly used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute drugs.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and said the agency would continue to go after traffickers regardless of their social status.
He said, “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.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
