High Priest Arrested Over Attempts To Smuggle Drugs To Dubai

High Priest Nnodu Azuka Kenrick, the founder and general overseer of the Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly, Lagos, has been detained by agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on drug trafficking-related charges.

The church leader, a student from Emmanuel College of Theology, Samanta, Ibadan, Udezuka Udoka, and their freight agent, Oyoyo Mary Obasi, were all detained in connection with an attempt to export methamphetamine and skunk consignments hidden in kegs of palm oil through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.

According to Babafemi, High Priest Nnodu was detained on Saturday, February 11, at his Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly church, which is located at No. 1 Sabbath Close in the Ijesha neighbourhood of Lagos. This arrest came after the detention of two suspects, Oyoyo Mary Obasi and theology student Udezuka Udoka, on Thursday, February 9, at the Lagos airport in connection with the discovery of 283 parcels of skunk weighing 14.90 kilograms and 204 grams of methamphetamine concealed in four 25-litre kegs of palm oil for export to Dubai.

In her statement, Mary accused Nnodu, the general overseer of her newly founded church, and his son Chisom Obi—who is currently at large—of providing her with the consignments for export after she was forced to take an oath of secrecy and offer a chicken sacrifice in the church while the High Priest Nnodu prayed for the success of the transaction.

When Mary revealed how she was recruited by her church’s GO, she claimed that the clergyman and his son threatened her to accept the role after they realized she knew their secrets. Mary also claimed that High Priest Nnodu constantly referred to illegal drugs in their phone text messages as “Ice” and “Bible,” which are street names for methamphetamine and cannabis, respectively.

Mary was introduced to Udezuka, a theology student, to help her as she was new to the illegal trade. Udezuka claimed he was compensated N2 million for the part and was compelled to do it since he needed the cash for his education.