Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a series of operations to combat drug trafficking and abuse has arrested several high-profile suspects, including a wanted drug kingpin, a Nollywood filmmaker, and a network of other offenders. These arrests, alongside significant drug seizures, underscore the agency’s intensified efforts in the new year.
On January 1, 2025, NDLEA operatives arrested 61-year-old Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, alias "Iya Ruka," a Lagos socialite and alleged leader of a drug cartel operating from Mushin, Lagos. Acting on intelligence, officers intercepted a white Isuzu truck containing 44 jumbo sacks of imported cannabis weighing 1,540 kilograms. The truck was driven by her staff, Abideen Adio.
Alhaja Ajoke, who had evaded arrest for years, was apprehended at her mansion in Okota, Lagos. Known publicly as a fabric and shoe importer, she allegedly financed and directed a massive drug operation. She also held the title of *Iyalaje* of Blessing Sisters, a social club in Lagos.
In a separate operation on December 27, 2024, NDLEA officers arrested Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe, a U.S.-trained filmmaker and motivational speaker, at a hotel in Lekki, Lagos. His partner, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was earlier arrested at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja, while attempting to retrieve 33 parcels of Loud cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms. The shipment had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on a Delta Airlines flight from the United States.
In Ilorin, Kwara State, operatives apprehended two young women—Khadijat Abdulraheem, 24, a fresh graduate, and Ayomide Morakinyo, 20, a University of Ilorin student—on December 29, 2024. The duo was producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students. A search of their apartment yielded 42 drug-infused cakes.
Sodade Sunday Eniola, an ex-convict previously jailed for drug trafficking, was rearrested for involvement in an international passport racketeering scheme. NDLEA operatives at Lagos Airport intercepted 52 passports hidden in shoe soles and food items during a shipment inspection. Investigations led to the arrest of Eniola and three others: Ayinde Saheed Awwal, Salaudeen Afeez Ayode, and Sheriff Adebayo Bamigbade.
The suspects and exhibits were handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further investigation.
On December 31, 2024, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with Nigeria Customs, recovered 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup from two containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State. The seizure was based on credible intelligence.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives raided a dealer’s hideout in Dala Local Government Area, recovering 149,090 pills of tramadol and exol-5. The suspect, 45-year-old Ismail Muhammad, was taken into custody.
The NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitization programs in schools, markets, and worship centers across the country. These included lectures at Ido-Osi Central Market in Ekiti State and Birnin Kudu Central Mosque in Jigawa State.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and CEO of the NDLEA, lauded the officers and commands involved in the operations. He emphasized the importance of their dual approach—targeting both drug supply and demand reduction.
“The operational successes recorded so far are a testament to the agency’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria,” Marwa said.
As the NDLEA intensifies its crackdown on drug-related crimes, the agency’s efforts in early 2025 set a formidable tone for the year ahead. With high-profile arrests and significant drug seizures, the war against drug abuse in Nigeria is gaining momentum.
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