'I Hid the Drugs in My Church Premises Since October 2014'

The resident Pastor of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim, Agodo-Egbe, Ikotun branch, Lagos, has been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for allegedly attempting to export narcotics with a street value of N609 million to South Africa.

The suspect, identified as Prophet Michael Raji, 60, was arrested, following the interception of the drugs at the cargo section of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, during pre-shipment examination.

The seized drugs, which weighed 174 kilogrammes was reportedly concealed inside large bags of foodstuff.

A break down of the recovered drugs, according to the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, was 91kg of Methamphetamine and 83kg of Ephedrine.

A sydicate somewhere?

Preliminary investigation indicated that Prophet Raji was a suspected top member of a drug syndicate operating in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, because three international passports bearing the suspect's photographs were recovered.

Umar said: “One of the passports bears the name Michael Raji, while the other two bear the name Kadigun Fatah Ola.

“It was equally discovered that the church premises also serves as a warehouse for narcotics. A Mercedes Benz SUV was also impounded during the operation.

“The drugs were brought to the airport for export to South Africa. Investigation eventually traced the movement of the drugs to his church premises, where he was arrested.”

“I kept the drugs in the church's premises”

In his statement, Prophet Raji claimed he collected the drugs from a friend.

He said: “I received the drugs from my friend and I kept them in the church since October 2014. I am the resident pastor of Cherubim and Seraphim Agodo-Egbe, Ikotun branch, Lagos.

“I attended Ansarudeen Primary and Secondary School Ibadan. I later attended Yaba College of Technology, where I had my Trade Test in Electrical Installation.

“I was ordained a full time pastor in 1977. This is a great temptation for me and I pray to God to overcome it.”

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who described the seizure as one of the largest psychotropic substances recovered at the airport said: “The game is up for the suspect and we have strong evidence for prosecution. We are working very hard to apprehend other accomplices and bring them to book.”