By Christian Abolu 

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a pastor and his wife alongside several other suspects in a series of coordinated operations across the country within the past week.

The agency disclosed that the cleric, Afolabi Hodonu, 45, in charge of a Celestial Church of Christ parish in Badagry, Lagos State, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, were arrested on April 2 at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme border axis.

According to the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, a search conducted on the couple’s Honda Pilot SUV led to the discovery of 11 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of the vehicle.

The arrest followed an earlier operation on March 30 at the same checkpoint, where a suspected fake security operative, Sunday Samuel, 35, was apprehended while transporting 24.5 kilogrammes of the same substance from the Seme border to Lagos.

In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a trailer along Namtari Road in Yola South on March 30, recovering 48,000 pills of tramadol.

The driver, Abdulaziz Ismail Korede, was arrested, while a follow-up operation led to the apprehension of the intended recipient, Idris Adamu.

Similarly, in Osun State, a 60-year-old woman, Idiatu Oladejo, was arrested on April 1 in the Isale Osun area of Osogbo with 15 kilogrammes of skunk.

Operatives in Ondo State also carried out a raid in the Itaogbolu forest near Akure, where they recovered 351 kilogrammes of skunk and cannabis seeds, although no arrests were immediately recorded in connection with the seizure.

In Benue State, a 66-year-old suspect, Aminu Usman Gembu, was arrested on April 1 at Aliade with 28,600 capsules of tramadol.

A major seizure was also recorded in Edo State, where NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Egbanke community, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Roland Owie, 37, and the recovery of 1,378 kilogrammes of skunk.

In Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, also known as Iya Elle, was arrested on April 1 at Eleta area of Ibadan following intelligence reports and surveillance.

The agency alleged that she used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute illicit drugs to customers.

A total of 45.6 kilogrammes of skunk was recovered from her warehouse.

Meanwhile, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued across the country, with sensitisation programmes held in schools in Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra and Zamfara states as part of efforts to curb drug abuse, particularly among youths.