Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Badagry-based pastor and his wife for drug trafficking, while also dismantling a major cocaine syndicate in Lagos.
The cleric, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu of the Celestial Church of Christ, and his wife, Success Hodonu, were apprehended at the Gbaji checkpoint in Badagry, Lagos. A search of their Honda Pilot SUV uncovered 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments.
Their arrest followed the earlier interception of a suspected fake security operative, Sunday Samuel, who was caught transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from the Seme border into Lagos.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside tins of palm kernel oil destined for the United Kingdom. Two suspects linked to the shipment were arrested.
Subsequent investigations led to a sting operation that uncovered the sender and exposed the alleged kingpin of the syndicate, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was arrested at his hideout in Isolo, Lagos. A raid on his warehouse in Bucknor led to the recovery of 886 tins prepared for drug concealment, along with tools and other exhibits. He reportedly confessed to using the containers to smuggle cocaine.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives in Borno State arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis believed to be supplied to bandit groups.
Additional seizures were recorded across Adamawa, Osun, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Oyo states, where large consignments of tramadol and cannabis were recovered and several suspects arrested, including a drug dealer in Ibadan who allegedly used her young daughter to distribute illicit substances.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools nationwide.
NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across commands for the successful operations, noting that the agency remains committed to disrupting drug trafficking networks across the country.