Kehinde Fajobi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has kicked off 2025 with major arrests and drug seizures across Lagos, Kwara, Rivers, and Kano states, according to a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
On January 1, NDLEA operatives apprehended 61-year-old Lagos socialite and suspected drug kingpin, Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, alias “Iya Ruka,” at her mansion in Okota, Lagos.
Her arrest followed the interception of a truck carrying 1,540 kilograms of cannabis driven by her staff, Abideen Adio.
“Known in the drug underworld as ‘Iya Ruka,’ Alhaja Ajoke had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list for leading a major drug cartel in Mushin. She posed as a fabric and shoe importer while secretly managing a massive drug trade,” Babafemi stated.
In another operation, US-trained filmmaker and motivational speaker Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe was arrested at a Lagos hotel on December 27, 2024.
His associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was earlier caught with 33 parcels of Loud cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms, concealed in wooden boxes shipped from the United States.
The NDLEA also arrested two young women in Ilorin—24-year-old Khadijat Abdulraheem and 20-year-old Ayomide Morakinyo—for producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students. A raid on their residence uncovered 42 drugged cakes.
In Lagos, ex-convict Sodade Sunday Eniola, previously jailed for drug trafficking, was rearrested for passport smuggling.
NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 52 passports concealed in shoe soles and food items.
Additionally, NDLEA and Customs seized 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex on December 31, 2024.
In Kano, officers recovered 149,090 pills of tramadol and other drugs during a raid on a local dealer’s residence.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to tackling drug-related crimes and ensuring justice for those involved in trafficking.