Lagos Pastor and Wife Arrested with Illicit Drugs

On April 2, 2023, Afolabi Hodonu, 45, a pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, were arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Gbaji checkpoint in Lagos. The couple was found with 11 kilograms of skunk hidden in a modified section of their Honda Pilot SUV.

The arrest was part of a broader operation that began on March 30, when a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, was apprehended for transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk near the Seme border. Following the couple's arrest, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesman, stated that the agency is conducting extensive anti-narcotics operations across the country.

The Celestial Church of Christ has distanced itself from the Hodonus, clarifying that they are not affiliated with the mainstream leadership of the church, led by Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa. Sunday Kayod Ajala, a church representative, expressed concern over the incident's impact on the church's reputation.