Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have detained a pastor and his spouse after officers discovered 11 kilograms of skunk hidden inside their vehicle at the Seme Border in Lagos State.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed this in a statement on Sunday, naming the suspects as Afolabi Hodonu, 45, a pastor with the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach in Badagry, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35.
Babafemi explained that the couple was arrested on April 2 at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme border while travelling in a Honda Pilot sport utility vehicle.
A thorough inspection of the automobile resulted in the recovery of the illegal substance concealed inside specially designed compartments within the vehicle.
He added that the arrest came after intelligence earlier obtained from the interception of another suspect, Sunday Samuel, 35, who had been disguising himself as a security operative.
Samuel was apprehended on March 30 at the same checkpoint while allegedly conveying 24.5kg of skunk from the Seme border into Lagos.
In another related operation, Babafemi said NDLEA personnel have uncovered a drug trafficking syndicate responsible for shipping cocaine to the United Kingdom.
The operation started on March 11 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where officers intercepted 3.10kg of cocaine hidden inside tins of palm kernel extract meant for export to the UK. Two suspects connected to the consignment, Idris Amoo and Akinlami Adedoyin, were arrested at the airport.
Subsequent investigations led to the capture of the suspected sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who was allegedly operating under a fake identity. His arrest later exposed the leader of the network, King Arinze, 52, who was traced to a hideout in Isolo, Lagos.
NDLEA officers later stormed a warehouse linked to Arinze at 11, Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, Isolo, where they recovered 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for concealing narcotics, along with industrial equipment including a sealing machine, tin openers, paint sprays, 52 grams of cannabis sativa, and a pack of hand gloves.
Babafemi said Arinze has confessed to personally emptying the palm kernel oil from the tins to hide cocaine for export.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Borno State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 28-year-old suspect, Aisha Adamu, along the Gamboru‑Ngala Road. She was allegedly involved in supplying drugs to bandit groups operating between Nigeria’s North-East and neighbouring Chad.
The agency said 4.3kg of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, was recovered from her.
