The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Lagos-based pastor and his wife after uncovering 11 kilograms of skunk hidden in specially constructed compartments of their vehicle.
The suspects, Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, were apprehended on Thursday, April 2, at the Gbaji checkpoint in the Badagry area of Lagos.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, a search of the couple’s Honda Pilot SUV led to the discovery of the illicit drugs concealed within modified sections of the vehicle.
Babafemi noted that the pastor, who is in charge of a parish of the Celestial Church of Christ in the Seme border area, and his wife were arrested following intelligence gathered from an earlier operation at the same checkpoint.
That earlier operation, carried out on March 30, led to the arrest of Sunday Samuel, 35, who was caught transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from the Seme border into Lagos. Investigations into that seizure reportedly led to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in tins of palm kernel extract bound for the United Kingdom.
The agency said two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were initially arrested, while further intelligence-led operations led to the capture of the alleged sender, Ezemuwo Joel, and the suspected syndicate leader, King Arinze, 52, in the Isolo area of Lagos.
Authorities said items recovered from the kingpin’s warehouse included 886 tins prepared for concealing drugs, along with packaging tools, indicating a well-organised trafficking network.
Beyond Lagos, NDLEA operations also extended to the North-East, where officers arrested Aisha Adamu, 28, along the Gamboru Ngala road in Borno State. She was allegedly supplying drugs to bandit groups operating across the region and into Chad, and was found in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.
Other nationwide seizures included 48,000 tramadol pills intercepted in Adamawa State, the recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Edo State, and the arrest of a suspected drug dealer in Ibadan who allegedly used her 11-year-old daughter for distribution.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the country.
“These successful operations demonstrate our growing intelligence capacity and determination to choke drug supply chains. No one is above the law, regardless of status or cover,” he said.
