TheCable

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared Faith Ugochi, a prophetess and founder of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, and Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Simba Allen, a couple, in Rivers state for alleged drug trafficking.

The agency said the accused recruited teenage girls to trade in illicit drugs.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media, said 32.70 kilograms of “loud”, a strong variant of cannabis concealed in cartons of used wears, were linked to the prophetess and the couple after it was seized at the Lagos airport in November 2022.

Babafemi said they are allegedly arrowheads of an international syndicate operating from Los Angeles, US.

“A freight agent, Ukoh Ifeanyi Oguguo was immediately arrested while further investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects: Chikodi Favour; Obiyom Shalom Chiamaka; Nnochiri Chidinma Promise and Edward Omatseye (aka Montana),” he said.

“The 15-year-old Favour was the first sales girl to be arrested at a fuel station in Ajah area of Lagos. She thereafter led the operatives to a duplex accommodation around the Ikate area of Lekki, which was later discovered to be a rented apartment by the criminal group purposely for four young girls that the syndicate uses for marketing and distribution of illicit drugs.

“Another girl, Shalom who is a fresh graduate of Agricultural Science from Rivers State University of Science and Technology was picked from the house alongside Favour.

“A letter of invitation sent to Prophetess Faith Ugochi of Christ Adoration Ministries, No. 27 Anozie Street, Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on 28th November 2022 was received and acknowledged by her mother, with whom she runs the Church.”

Meanwhile, the media director said NDLEA operatives arrested one Abdurrashid Musa, 33, with 142.8kg of cannabis in Soba LGA of Kaduna state.