The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele, also known as Abbas Ajakaiye, for allegedly masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.
Olasele, who had reportedly fled to Ghana to evade arrest, was apprehended on Sunday, August 3, at his church in Okun Ajah, Ogombo Road, Lekki, Lagos. NDLEA operatives waited until after the evening service before moving in on him. The agency linked him to two previous seizures of “Ghana Loud” — a potent strain of cannabis — weighing 200kg on June 4 and 700kg on July 6.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect admitted transporting the consignments via waterways from Ghana and hiding in the neighbouring country after twice evading capture.
In separate operations, NDLEA officers in Lagos arrested Benjamin Udo Ukoh at Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, on August 7, recovering 32 pouches of Canadian Loud cannabis weighing 15.63kg.
In Nasarawa State, three suspects — Emmanuel Asoquo Johnny, 51; Okem Raphael, 33; and Chekwube Odo, 25 — were arrested on August 9 with 3,093kg of skunk in New Karu. In Kano State, Nura Yahaya, 29, was caught with 359kg of skunk on August 8, while Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was arrested with 9kg of Colorado cannabis on August 6. Another suspect, Usman Musa, 30, was found with 20,000 tramadol pills and 200 diazepam ampoules on August 8.
In Gombe State, NDLEA recovered 550,266 opioid pills, mainly tramadol, from an uncompleted building in Tudun Wadan Pantami on August 8, arresting Usama Isah. The following day, Ibrahim Adamu, 23, was caught with 50,000 tramadol capsules in Bajoga.
Also on August 6, in Edo State, operatives intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus at Ewu junction, recovering 23,940 tramadol capsules, 1,100 tramadol tablets, and 400 ampoules of pentazocine. Suspect Taiye Jethro was taken into custody.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, and Edo commands for their operations. He urged officers nationwide to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with advocacy.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns last week, reaching schools, military formations, trade associations, and government institutions in several states, including Oyo, Kano, Yobe, Benue, Ekiti, and Anambra.
