NDLEA operatives have arrested Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, in Lagos after discovering 11 kilograms of skunk hidden in secret compartments of their Honda Pilot SUV. The arrest occurred on Thursday, April 2, at the Gbaji checkpoint in Badagry, following intelligence from a prior operation on March 30 that led to the arrest of Sunday Samuel with 24.5 kilograms of skunk. Afolabi Hodonu is the head pastor of a Celestial Church of Christ parish in the Seme border area. The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the discovery during a search of the vehicle and linked the couple to the earlier drug haul.
Separately, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, 3.10 kilograms of cocaine were found concealed in tins of palm kernel extract destined for the United Kingdom. Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were first arrested, leading to the capture of alleged sender Ezemuwo Joel and syndicate leader King Arinze, 52, in Isolo. Authorities recovered 886 tins and packaging tools from Arinze's warehouse. In Borno State, Aisha Adamu, 28, was arrested along the Gamboru Ngala road for allegedly supplying 4.3 kilograms of Colorado to bandit groups. Other seizures included 48,000 tramadol pills in Adamawa, 1,378 kilograms of skunk in Edo, and an Ibadan woman using her 11-year-old daughter for drug distribution. NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised the operations, stating, "These successful operations demonstrate our growing intelligence capacity and determination to choke drug supply chains. No one is above the law, regardless of status or cover."
A pastor and his wife arrested with 11 kilograms of skunk in a modified SUV underscores how deeply embedded drug trafficking has become across social strata. The involvement of a church leader in a high-capacity smuggling operation challenges public perceptions of who enables the drug trade. Mohamed Buba Marwa's assertion that "no one is above the law" gains weight when even religious figures are being exposed and apprehended. For Nigerians, this signals that the drug network's reach may extend into trusted community institutions, altering how safety and influence are perceived.
