ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a pastor and his wife in Lagos after uncovering 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle.
The agency described the arrest as part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking networks.
The suspects, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Mrs Success Hodonu, 35, were apprehended on Thursday, April 2, at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme border corridor.
The agency disclosed that the arrest followed a thorough search of the couple’s Honda Pilot SUV, which exposed the illicit consignment carefully concealed within modified sections of the vehicle.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi: “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.”
Babafemi explained that the arrest of the couple was linked to an earlier operation at the same checkpoint, where a suspected fake security operative was intercepted with a large quantity of drugs.
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“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,” he said.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in tins of palm kernel extract bound for the United Kingdom.
Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested in connection with the shipment, while subsequent intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of the alleged sender, Ezemuwo Joel, and the suspected kingpin, King Arinze, 52, in Isolo, Lagos.
“Items recovered from his warehouse included 886 tins prepared for drug concealment and tools used for packaging,” Babafemi added.
The agency also recorded fresh arrests across the country, including the interception of a suspected female drug supplier to bandit groups in Borno State.
“In a separate but equally significant operation in Borno state, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 1st April intercepted a female drug supplier to bandit groups operating between the North East and Chad, 28-year-old Aisha Adamu.
“She was arrested along Gamboru Ngala road in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis,” he stated.
Additional operations led to the seizure of 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa, recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk in Edo State, and the arrest of a suspected dealer in Ibadan who allegedly used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute illicit drugs.
Reacting to the string of successes, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended operatives for their vigilance and reiterated the agency’s determination to dismantle drug cartels, regardless of status or cover.
“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,” he said.