The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested prominent Lagos socialite Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, 61, following years of investigation into one of the city’s largest drug trafficking operations.
Elediye, known in drug circles as ‘Iya Ruka’ and in social circles as Alhaja Ajoke, was apprehended on Wednesday, January 1, at her mansion in the Okota area of Lagos. The arrest came after NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck containing 1,540 kilogrammes of imported cannabis packed in 44 jumbo sacks.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that while Elediye maintained a facade as a legitimate businesswoman importing fabrics and shoes from China, she allegedly headed a major drug cartel operating from Lagos’ Mushin district. She also holds influence as the Iyalaje of Blessing Sisters, an exclusive Lagos social club.
“The arrest followed the interception of a white Isuzu truck driven by her employee, 41-year-old Abideen Adio,” Babafemi said. “This led our operatives to her hideout at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, off Ago Palace Way, Okota.”
In a separate operation, the agency arrested US-trained filmmaker Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe at a Lekki hotel on Friday, December 27. The arrest followed the apprehension of his associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, who was caught collecting 33 parcels of “Loud,” a potent cannabis variant weighing 17.30 kilogrammes. The drugs had arrived via Delta Airlines from the United States on December 24, concealed in wooden boxes. Mbadiwe had sent James to retrieve the shipment.
The agency also reported the arrest of two young suspects in Ilorin: 24-year-old Khadijat Abdulraheem and 20-year-old University of Ilorin student Ayomide Morakinyo. The pair were caught producing and distributing drug-laced cupcakes to university students. NDLEA officers recovered 42 pieces of contaminated baked goods from their Tanke University of Ilorin Road apartment.
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