Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a pastor and his wife in Lagos after allegedly discovering illicit drugs concealed in their vehicle.
The suspects, Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, were apprehended on Thursday at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme border area.
According to a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, a search conducted on the couple’s Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of 11 kilograms of skunk hidden in specially modified compartments.
“The pastor and his wife were arrested at the Gbaji checkpoint, where a search of their vehicle uncovered blocks of skunk weighing 11kg concealed in hidden sections,” Babafemi said.
He explained that the arrest followed an earlier operation at the same location, where a suspected fake security operative, Sunday Samuel, was intercepted while transporting 24.5 kilograms of the same substance.
“The arrest of the couple was linked to the earlier apprehension of a suspect conveying 24.5kg of skunk from the Seme border to Lagos. Investigations from that seizure led to their arrest,” he added.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in tins packaged as palm kernel extract and bound for the United Kingdom.
Babafemi said multiple suspects, including Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested in connection with the shipment, while further intelligence operations led to the arrest of the alleged sender, Ezemuwo Joel, and a suspected syndicate leader, King Arinze, in the Isolo area of Lagos.
“Items recovered from the syndicate’s warehouse included hundreds of tins prepared for drug concealment and equipment used for packaging,” he said.
The agency also reported the arrest of a suspected female drug supplier, Aisha Adamu, in Borno State. She was allegedly intercepted along the Gamboru Ngala road with 4.3 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain.
Babafemi noted that additional operations across the country led to multiple seizures and arrests, including the recovery of large quantities of tramadol and cannabis, as well as the apprehension of a suspect in Ibadan accused of using a minor to distribute drugs.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to tackle drug trafficking nationwide.
“These successful operations demonstrate our growing intelligence capabilities and our commitment to disrupting drug networks. Regardless of status or cover, those involved in trafficking will be brought to justice,” Marwa said.
