NDLEA arrests popular Church GO, student for drug trafficking

The GO was arrested alongside two accomplices, Udezuka Udoka, a student of Emmanuel College of Theology, Samanta, Ibadan, and their freight agent, Oyoyo Obasi, over attempts to export methamphetamine and skunk consignments to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The trio were caught while trying to slip the drugs, concealed in kegs of palm oil, through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos to the Middle East country.

The NDLEA arrested Azuka on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at his Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly church located at No 1, Sabbath Close, Ijesha area of Lagos following an earlier arrest of the two other suspects on Thursday February 9, 2023 at the Lagos airport in connection with the seizure of 283 parcels of skunk weighing 14.90 kilograms and 204 grams of methamphetamine concealed in four 25-litre kegs of palm oil.

This was contained in a statement issued by the agency's Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and obtained by Pulse correspondence on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

The NDLEA spokesperson said Obasi in her statement indicted the General Overseer of her new-found church, Nnodu and his son, Chisom Obi, who is now at large, as the persons that gave her the consignments for export after being forced to swear to an oth of secrecy as well a sacrifice of chicken in the church while the High Priest prayed for her for successful transaction.

The statement partly read: “Spilling the beans on how she was recruited by her church’s GO, Obasi said the clergyman and his son used threats to compel her to take the job after they knew she had known their secrets, adding that Nnodu was always referring to the illicit drugs as Ice and Bible, (Street names for Methamphetamine and Cannabis) in their telephone text message chats.

“The theology student, Udezuka was introduced to Obasi to assist her because she was new in the illicit business. Udezuka said he was paid N2million for his role and had to do it because he needed the money for his education.”