Celestial Church Disowns Suspect Nabbed With Illicit Drugs at Badagry Checkpoint

The Celestial Church of Christ has dissociated itself from a man recently arrested in Lagos over alleged possession of illicit drugs, stressing that he is not among its recognised leaders.

The individual, identified as Afolabi Hodonu, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alongside his wife.
According to reports, the couple was intercepted at the Gbaji checkpoint in Badagry, where officials uncovered about 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in compartments within their vehicle.
Hodonu was said to have presented himself as the shepherd in charge of a Celestial Church parish situated around Agonvi Sea Beach in the Sakpo area along the Seme border.
Responding to the development, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi explained that the arrest formed part of an intensified crackdown on drug trafficking activities in the area. He noted that only a few days earlier, operatives had apprehended another suspect who allegedly impersonated a security agent while conveying illegal substances.
He further disclosed that the suspect, Sunday Samuel, was caught with 24.5 kilograms of skunk at the same checkpoint while travelling from the Seme border toward Lagos.
In its reaction, the church, through its Head of Media and Publicity, Kayode Ajala, stated that internal records do not recognise Hodonu or his wife as members of the mainstream Celestial Church.
He clarified that the couple has no affiliation with the church’s Ketu headquarters led by its spiritual leader, Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa.
Ajala also expressed concern over the association of the church’s name with the incident, describing it as unfortunate and misleading.
He added that a task force would be deployed to the Seme–Badagry axis to investigate the matter and ascertain the facts surrounding the claim.