Celestial Church Disowns Drug-Arrested Pastor, Wife

LAGOS, April 5, 2026 – The Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide has publicly disowned a self-proclaimed pastor, Afolabi Hodonu, and his wife, Success, following their arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly possessing 11 kilograms of cannabis, known as “skunk,” hidden in their vehicle.

The couple was apprehended on Thursday at the Gbaji checkpoint in Lagos during a routine operation. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed in a statement that the arrest stemmed from an earlier interception on March 30 at the same location, where operatives nabbed a 35-year-old fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, transporting 24.5kg of skunk from the Seme border to Lagos. Investigations linked Samuel’s haul to the Hodonus, leading to their detention.

Hodonu, who identified himself as the Shepherd of the Celestial Church of Christ parish at Agonvi Sea Beach in Sakpo, Seme border area of Badagry, was caught with the drugs concealed in secret vehicle compartments. Babafemi described the bust as part of NDLEA’s intensified nationwide operations against narcotics trafficking, which have yielded multiple seizures in recent weeks.

In a swift response on Sunday, Kayode Ajala, the church’s Head of Media and Publicity, issued a statement distancing the organization from the suspects. “Our administrative records confirm that Shepherd Afolabi Hodonu and his wife, Success Hodonu, do not belong to the Ketu mainstream of Celestial Church of Christ under the leadership of His Eminence, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa,” Ajala declared.

Ajala condemned the incident as a “despicable act” that tarnished the church’s reputation. To uncover the full truth, the church announced it would deploy a Task Force Corps to the Seme-Badagry area for an on-ground fact-finding mission.

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This development underscores ongoing concerns about fake clerics exploiting religious affiliations for criminal activities along Nigeria’s porous borders, particularly at Seme, a notorious route for drug smuggling from neighboring countries. NDLEA’s recent raids highlight intensified surveillance at key checkpoints amid rising cannabis inflows.

No further details on the couple’s court appearance or additional charges have been released as of press time. The church’s probe may reveal whether Hodonu operated an independent or rogue parish.