Lagos Drug Kingpin, Alhaja Ajoke, Nabbed in New Year Raid by NDLEA
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a high-profile arrest, capturing 61-year-old Lagos socialite and alleged drug kingpin, Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, known in her social circle as “Alhaja Ajoke” and to the drug underworld as “Iya Ruka.” The arrest took place on New Year’s Day at her mansion in Okota, Lagos, following a strategic interception of a truck loaded with illicit drugs.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the arrest came after operatives intercepted a white Izuzu truck driven by one of Ajoke’s employees, 41-year-old Abideen Adio. The truck was carrying 44 jumbo sacks containing 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis, confirming Ajoke’s connection to a significant drug cartel operating from the Mushin area of Lagos. This operation exposed her long-hidden criminal activities despite her public image as a businesswoman.
“Alhaja Ajoke,” also known as the Iyalaje of the influential Blessing Sisters club of Lagos, had been under investigation for years, operating as a key figure in a widespread drug trafficking network. While she presented herself as a legitimate businesswoman, importing fabrics and shoes from China, the NDLEA’s operation revealed her deep involvement in a massive illicit drug trade.
Following the drug bust, NDLEA operatives stormed her residence at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, Okota, where they apprehended her. The raid was a part of the agency’s continued crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse across the country, which has led to several high-profile arrests in recent weeks.
In another major operation, NDLEA officers apprehended Hollywood and Nollywood filmmaker Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe, who is also a motivational speaker. Mbadiwe was arrested at his hotel in Lekki on December 27th, 2024, after his partner, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was caught earlier that day in Ajao Estate, Ikeja. James had been sent to collect 33 parcels of “Loud” cannabis—17.30 kilograms of the potent drug—from a shipment that arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on a Delta Airlines flight from the United States.
The NDLEA also made strides in Kwara State, where two young individuals—24-year-old Khadijat Abdulraheem, a fresh graduate, and 20-year-old Ayomide Morakinyo, a University of Ilorin student—were arrested for producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students in the area. Authorities seized 42 drugged cakes from their apartment during the operation on December 29th, 2024.
Also Read: NDLEA Arrests Over 14,000 Suspected Drug Traffickers in 2024
In an unrelated operation, a former convict, Sodade Sunday Eniola, who had been imprisoned for drug trafficking, was arrested once again by NDLEA officers for involvement in passport racketeering. Authorities discovered 52 passports concealed in shipments of food items and shoe soles at the Lagos airport, with four members of the syndicate arrested in connection with the racket.
Further seizures by the NDLEA include 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup from two containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex on December 31st, 2024, and the recovery of 149,090 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a local dealer in Kano on the same day.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, praised the agency’s officers for their efforts in reducing drug supply and demand. “Their successes across the country, particularly in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Kwara, are commendable, and their balanced approach to tackling drug abuse remains critical to our national efforts,” Marwa stated.
