The pastor in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ(CCC), Agonvi Sea Beach, Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry, Lagos State, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, 35, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over alleged drug trafficking.
The couple was apprehended last Thursday at the Gbaji checkpoint, where a search of their Honda Pilot SUV uncovered 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of the vehicle. Their arrest followed the earlier interception of a suspected fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, who was caught at the same checkpoint with 24.5kg of skunk en route from Seme border to Lagos.
The development came as NDLEA operatives dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate in a three-week intelligence-led operation, intercepting cocaine shipments concealed in tins of palm kernel extract bound for the United Kingdom.
According to NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the breakthrough occurred on March 11, 2026, when officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, seized 3.10kg of cocaine hidden in export cargo.
Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested while handling the consignment. A follow-up sting operation on April 2 led to the arrest of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who operated under a false identity.
His arrest exposed the alleged kingpin, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was tracked to a hideout in Isolo, Lagos. NDLEA operatives subsequently raided his warehouse at Bucknor, recovering 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for drug concealment, along with industrial sealing equipment, cannabis, and other tools.
Babafemi said Arinze confessed to draining the oil from the tins to stash cocaine before resealing them for export.
In a related operation in Borno State, NDLEA officers arrested 28-year-old Aisha Adamu along the Gamboru Ngala road with 4.3kg of “Colorado,” a potent synthetic cannabis strain allegedly meant for supply to bandit groups operating across the North-East and Chad.
Elsewhere, anti-narcotics officers intercepted 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa State, arresting the truck driver and the intended recipient. Similar operations in Osun, Ondo, Edo, Oyo, and Benue states led to multiple arrests and large seizures of illicit drugs, including over 1,300kg of skunk recovered from a warehouse in Edo.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across commands for the coordinated successes, stressing that the agency remains resolute in disrupting drug supply networks nationwide.
“These operations show our growing intelligence strength. No cover—be it business fronts, religious titles, or concealment tactics—will shield drug traffickers from justice,” he said.
