NDLEA targets prophetesses hiring young girls as salespeople for illicit drugs.

Faith Ugochi, a Port Harcourt-based prophetess and the founder of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, as well as the celebrity couple Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Allen have been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for allegedly trafficking drugs and enlisting young girls in their illegal enterprise.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson, revealed this in a statement on Sunday.

He claimed that the suspects act as arrowheads for an international gang based in Los Angeles, California.

Babafemi claims that on November 16, 2022, NDLEA agents at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of 32.70 kg of Loud, a potent variety of cannabis hidden in cartons of used clothing, exposing the cartel’s illegal activities.

He mentioned that Ifeanyi Oguguo, a freight agent, had been detained right away, and that Chikodi Favour, Obiyom Chiamaka, Nnochiri Chidinma, and Edward Omatseye had all been detained as a result of additional inquiry (aka Montana).

According to Babafemi, “The 15-year-old Favour was the first sales girl to be arrested at a fuel station in the 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.

“During their preliminary interviews, it was learnt that the syndicate rented another building used as drugs warehouse inside Richmond Estate, Lekki. By the time operatives located the house, it was discovered that other members of the syndicate had broken into the store and carted away bags of illicit substances. However, some illicit drugs paraphernalia including sealing machine, bloating machine and packaging bags were recovered from the warehouse.”

He continued, saying that a subsequent operation resulted in the capture of Edward Omatseye at his home in the Lekki area, and that Omatseye had admitted to working for Igho and his wife, Danielle, who are known to be the main criminal organization’s leaders.

Babafemi furthet stated, “Investigation was able to establish that Favour and Shalom were recruited as sales girls in the illicit drug trade by Prophetess Faith Ugochi of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, using her church platform to recruit teenage girls brought to her for help, on behalf of the celebrity couple, Igho Ubiribo (aka Tiny) and Danielle Allen (aka Dani), who are the owners of the business, while Edward Omatseye (aka Montana) coordinates the illicit drug trade activities for them in Nigeria, with Nnochiri Chidinma as representative of Ben Cargo Limited, a freight company responsible for the shipment of illicit consignments into the country.

“While Chidinma and Omatseye (aka Montana) have already been charged to court and are currently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Lagos alongside Ben Cargo Limited, a freight company which had been linked to two previous drug seizures and also involved in the current case, several attempts to get Prophetess Faith Ugochi, Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Allen to submit themselves for questioning have proved abortive.

“Curiously, they hurriedly moved all funds traced to their company Lasgidi Backwood Limited, where all proceeds from the sales of illicit drugs were deposited into a private account of one Victor Imagoro. The agency has since blocked the sum of N80m traced to the account and obtained a court order to seize all properties including a fuel station linked to the suspects in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

“The NDLEA has further sought and obtained an order of the Federal High Court Lagos to declare wanted the celebrity couple Ubiribo Igho and Danielle Allen, as the arrowheads of the illicit trade as well as Prophetess Faith Ugochi, who recruits teenage girls as sales representatives for the duo.”