The Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide has come out to clearly state that a pastor recently arrested over alleged d.rug possession in Lagos is not part of its recognized leadership
The man in question, Afolabi Hodonu, was picked up by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) alongside his wife.
According to reports, the couple was intercepted at the Gbaji checkpoint with about 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle.
Hodonu had reportedly identified himself as the Shepherd in charge of a Celestial Church parish located at Agonvi Sea Beach in the Sakpo area along the Seme border in Badagry.
Speaking on the development, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi explained that the arrest was part of a wider crackdown. He revealed that just days earlier, officers had also stopped another suspect posing as a security agent.
“The apprehension of a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, at the same checkpoint on Monday, 30th March, while conveying 24.5kg skunk from Seme border to Lagos,” he said.
“The development was part of a series of operations conducted by the anti-narcotics agency across the country within the past week.”
In response, the church’s Head of Media and Publicity, Kayode Ajala, made it clear that Hodonu is not affiliated with the mainstream body of the church.
“The administrative records confirm that the said 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 said.
He also expressed concern about the church’s name being linked to the incident, describing the situation as unfortunate.
Ajala didn’t stop there he disclosed that the church plans to take further steps to get clarity on what really happened.
“Having said that and given the fact that the name of the Celestial Church of Christ has been dragged into this despicable act, we shall dispatch our Task Force Corps to Seme, Badagry, for a fact-finding mission of the unfolding situation,” he added.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
