The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced the new year with significant strides in its fight against drug trafficking and abuse, leading to the arrests of key figures and the seizure of substantial quantities of illicit substances across the country. Among those apprehended is a notorious drug kingpin and Lagos socialite, Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, known in criminal circles as “Iya Ruka.” The 61-year-old was arrested on January 1, 2025, at her mansion in the Okota area of Lagos following the interception of a truckload of cannabis linked to her operations. The truck, driven by her employee, Abideen Adio, was found carrying 44 jumbo sacks containing 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis.
Alhaja Ajoke, who publicly presents herself as a businesswoman importing fabrics and shoes from China, has been on the NDLEA’s wanted list for years for her role as the leader of a major drug cartel operating out of Mushin, Lagos. Her social status as the *Iyalaje* of Blessing Sisters, an influential Lagos women’s club, further shrouded her true identity in mystery until her arrest.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers arrested Nollywood filmmaker and motivational speaker Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe on December 27, 2024. Mbadiwe was apprehended at his Lekki hotel after his associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was arrested at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja. James had been sent by Mbadiwe to collect a shipment of 33 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms. The shipment, concealed in large wooden boxes, had arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) from the United States on December 24, 2024, via a Delta Airlines flight.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on December 29, 2024, arrested two young women accused of producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students in the University of Ilorin community. The suspects, 24-year-old graduate Khadijat Abdulraheem and 20-year-old student Ayomide Morakinyo, were arrested at Tanke-University Road, Ilorin. A search of their apartment yielded 42 pieces of drugged cakes, which were being sold to unsuspecting students.
Meanwhile, an ex-convict, Sodade Sunday Eniola, who had been previously arrested for drug trafficking, was rearrested for passport racketeering. Eniola, who had paid a fine to avoid imprisonment following his 2024 conviction, was apprehended after NDLEA operatives at Lagos airport intercepted 52 passports concealed in shoe soles and food items destined for Canada, Russia, and other countries. Further investigations led to the arrest of three other members of the syndicate.
In Rivers State, NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex intercepted 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a joint inspection with customs and other security agencies on December 31, 2024. This seizure followed credible intelligence processed by the Port Harcourt Port Command. On the same day in Kano, operatives raided Mafarki, Dan Dishe area of Dala Local Government, recovering 149,090 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a 45-year-old local dealer, Ismail Muhammad.
The NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, carrying out sensitization programs across the country in the past week. These included awareness lectures for traders at Ido-Osi Central Market in Ekiti State and sensitization sessions for Muslim faithful during Juma’at prayers at Birnin Kudu Central Mosque in Jigawa State.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, commended the operatives for their dedication and operational successes. He highlighted the agency’s balanced approach to reducing both drug supply and demand, which continues to yield positive results.
The NDLEA’s recent actions reflect its unwavering commitment to dismantling drug cartels, disrupting criminal networks, and combating the rising menace of drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.
