NDLEA arrests pastor, wife with drugs hidden in vehicle

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency officers caught a pastor and his wife in Lagos while they were transporting 11 kilograms of skunk that had been cleverly hidden in secret compartments of their car.

The pair in question, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, who is reportedly 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.

According to a statement shared by the agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, a search of the couple's Honda Pilot SUV uncovered the illegal drug, which had been stashed away in altered parts of the vehicle.

“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, 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 said.

Babafemi said the arrest followed an earlier interception at the same checkpoint on Monday, March 30, when operatives apprehended a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, while transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from Seme border to Lagos.

He added that Investigations into the seizure reportedly led to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.

“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,” Babafemi said.

During a similar operation, he explained that officers from the NDLEA at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, stopped 3.10 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were hidden in tins of palm kernel extract that were meant for the United Kingdom.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Cracks Down: Ex-Lagos Councillor, Others Nabbed with Massive Drug Hauls Across Nigeria

Babafemi also mentioned that two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested. Later, thanks to intelligence-guided operations, the person thought to have sent the drugs, Ezemuwo Joel, and the main boss of the drug ring, King Arinze, who is 52 years old, were also captured in Isolo, Lagos.

“Items recovered from his warehouse included 886 tins prepared for drug concealment and tools used for packaging,” he added.

Babafemi also said operatives arrested a suspected female terrorist drug supplier 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 said.

READ ALSO: How Much Does NDLEA Pay? Full Salary Breakdown (2025 Update)

The statement also detailed other arrests made across the country. These included the confiscation of 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa, the recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Edo State, and the apprehension of a suspected drug dealer in Ibadan who reportedly used her 11-year-old daughter to hand out drugs.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, praised the officers involved in these operations. He added that the agency would keep going after drug traffickers, no matter who they are or what their status is.

“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.