The founder and General Overseer of Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly, Lagos, High Priest Nnodu Azuka Kenrick and a student of Emmanuel College of Theology, Samonda, Ibadan, Oyo State, Udezuka Udoka, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over attempt to export methamphetamine and skunk consignments concealed in kegs of palm oil.
Also arrested was their freight agent, Oyoyo Mary Obasi.
The drugs were to be taken through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Thenewsbearer learnt that Nnodu was arrested on Saturday, February 11, 2023 in his church located at No 1, Sabbath Close, Ijesha area of Lagos, in connection with the seizure of 283 parcels of skunk weighing 14.90 kilogrammes and 204 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in four 25-litre kegs of palm oil for export to Dubai.
This was after the other two suspects, Obasi and Udoka were nabbed on Thursday, February 9, at the Lagos airport.
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed this on Sunday, February 12, said that in her statement, the female suspect indicted the General Overseer of her new-found church and his son, Chisom Obi, currently at large, as the persons who gave her the consignments for export, after being compelled to take an oath of secrecy as well as a sacrifice of chicken in the church.
She said that the high priest prayed for her for the success of the transaction.
Spilling the beans on how she was recruited by her church’s G.O., Mary said that the clergyman and his son used threats to compel her to take the job after they knew she had known their secrets, adding that Nnodu was always referring to the illicit drugs as Ice and Bible, (street names for methamphetamine and cannabis) in their telephone text message chats.
The theology student, Udezuka, was said to have been introduced to Mary to assist her because she was new in the illicit business.
In his statement, Udezuka said that he was paid N2million for his role and had to do it because he needed the money for his education.
Another attempt to send a consignment of skunk and tramadol 225mg to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by a Dubai-returnee, Nnamani Monday Innocent, was also thwarted following his arrest at Trade Fair complex in Ojo area of Lagos.
He had reportedly gone in company with his friend, Nwanana Emmanuel Ikechukwu, with the cargo to a freight company to process the consignment for export on Tuesday, February 7.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport same day intercepted a cargo going to London, United Kingdom.
In the consignment containing food items packed in a carton, the four walls of the carton were used to conceal 1.10 kilogrammes of methamphetamine while the freight agent, Agholor Emmanuel, who presented the cargo for export was immediately arrested.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, February 7, intercepted a consignment of 1,340 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa coming from Ogbese, Ondo State in a liquified natural gas truck to Okurikang Okoyong in Odukpani LGA, Cross River State.
Following credible intelligence, the movement was monitored for three weeks and upon arrival, 130 bags of cannabis weighing 1.430 tonnes were recovered from the LNG truck with 13 motorcycles hired by the cartel to convey the consignment deep into the forest.
In Kano, four suspects — Ado Shuaibu, Yahaya Shuaibu, Mamman Sani and Umar Musa Yakubu —were arrested in connection with the seizure of 229 blocks of skunk weighing 131.1kgs.
While Umar was arrested at Tumfafi village, Kano, the trio of Ado, Yahaya and Mamman were nabbed at Garin Balarabe, Maigatari, Jigawa State in a follow-up operation.
Another suspect, Aisha Muhammad, was arrested in Koki area of Kano with 17kg cannabis.
No fewer than four members of a syndicate using dispatch motorcycles to distribute illicit drugs in Lekki area of Lagos were arrested on Sunday, February 6.
They include Tijani Oladapo Hakeem, Eric Maku, Ahmed Jubril Olamide and Adobi Fortune Chris.
Babafemi said that at the time of their arrest, 1.88kg of Loud and assorted paraphernalia were recovered from them.
While 79.1kg skunk were seized during a raid in Patey area of Lagos Island, a total of 2,370.06 kilogrammes of cannabis and two boats seized at a jetty in Lagos by men of Civil Defence Corps were handed over to the Lagos command of the NDLEA.
In his reaction to the arrests and seizures in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers, men and women of all the commands involved in the operation for their commitment and professionalism towards ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drugs.
He said that the Agency would continue to target anyone or group involved in the criminal trade without fear or favour while urging all NDLEA officers across the country to remain unrelenting in the pursuit of the corporate goal.
