The Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide has clarified that Afolabi Hodonu, recently arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alongside his wife over alleged drug possession, is not affiliated with the church.
NDLEA operatives arrested Hodonu and his wife on Thursday at the Gbaji checkpoint in Lagos, allegedly recovering 11kg of skunk from hidden compartments in their vehicle. Hodonu had claimed to be the Shepherd overseeing the church’s Agonvi Sea Beach branch near Seme border, Badagry.
The arrests followed an earlier interception on March 30, when operatives apprehended a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, transporting 24.5kg of skunk from Seme border to Lagos. Investigations from that case reportedly led to Hodonu’s arrest.
Reacting, Kayode Ajala, Head of Media and Publicity for the church, emphasised that Hodonu and his wife are not connected to the Ketu mainstream of the Celestial Church of Christ under Reverend Emmanuel Oshoffa. He described the association of the church’s name with the incident as a “despicable act.”
Ajala further stated that a task force will be deployed to Seme, Badagry, to investigate the circumstances and ensure that the church’s reputation is safeguarded.
