The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of two officials of the Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries, popularly known as Mercy City Church in Warri, Delta State, for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs in the state.
The spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, identified the two officials as Adewale Abayomi Ayeni, 39, who manages the church’s prayer call centre and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, who oversees the church’s international guests.
He also noted that the two suspects were linked to two intercepted consignments of illicit drugs in the course of their operations.
The statement read in part, “The bust of the fentanyl cartel operating from Warri, Delta State, is coming barely a month after two members of another syndicate, Odoh Oguejiofor and Oliver Uzoma, were arrested at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, following months of intelligence-led investigation of the syndicates behind the dangerous drug, which is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.
“Two officials of the Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries, aka Mercy City Church, Warri, Delta State, Adewale Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, linked to two intercepted consignments of the illicit drugs have been arrested in Warri.
“Ayeni is one of those managing the prayer call centre of the church, and Ebipakebina is in charge of the movement of international guests from the airport to the church. Two female accomplices were also arrested in Warri in the course of investigating the intercepted shipments including Naomi David, 28, who is a staff of United Parcel Services, and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, who is a business associate of Ayeni.”
In a bid to get the church’s reaction to the alleged crime committed by the accused members, our correspondent visited the church’s website and obtained phone numbers.
Calls made to the phone numbers rang out and a message sent to the numbers regarding the development was yet to be responded to as of the time this report was filed.
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