A celestial pastor and his wife have been arrested in Lagos as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency intensify a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking networks across the country.
Spokesman of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, says the couple, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu of the Celestial Church in Badagry and his wife, Success, were intercepted at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme corridor, where officers uncovered 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle.
Their arrest followed an earlier operation at the same location, where a suspected fake security agent was caught transporting a larger consignment of the same substance into Lagos.
The arrests come amid a major breakthrough by the NDLEA in dismantling an international drug syndicate that smuggled cocaine to the United Kingdom using tins of palm kernel extract.
The three-week intelligence-led operation began with the seizure of over three kilograms of cocaine at the export shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Investigators Mr. Babafemi says, tracked the network through a series of coordinated sting operations, leading to multiple arrests and the eventual capture of the alleged kingpin, King Arinze, in Lagos.
A raid on his warehouse uncovered hundreds of prepared tins, drug concealment tools and other illicit substances, with the suspect reportedly confessing to personally facilitating the concealment process.
Elsewhere, the agency says it has sustained pressure on drug supply chains nationwide.
In Borno State, a suspected supplier to armed groups was arrested with a large quantity of synthetic cannabis, while in Adamawa, authorities intercepted tens of thousands of tramadol pills in a commercial truck, leading to further arrests.
Similar operations in Osun, Ondo, Benue, Edo and Oyo states led to the recovery of significant quantities of cannabis and tramadol, as well as the arrest of several suspects, including a woman accused of using her young daughter to distribute drugs.
The NDLEA says the series of coordinated operations highlights its renewed offensive against narcotics trafficking, warning that criminal networks, regardless of status or cover, will continue to face sustained enforcement actions.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen.