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, over alleged involvement in cross-border drug trafficking.
Olasele, who had been on the run for months, was apprehended on Sunday, 3 August, at his church in the Okun Ajah area of Lekki, Lagos, shortly after concluding a Sunday service. NDLEA operatives had trailed him since June following the seizure of two large consignments of “Ghana Loud” — a potent strain of cannabis — linked to him.
The first haul, weighing 200kg, was intercepted at Okun Ajah beach on 4 June, while another 700kg was seized from his delivery van on 6 July. He reportedly admitted to ferrying the drugs from Ghana into Nigeria via waterways and fleeing to Ghana to evade earlier arrest attempts.
In a separate operation in Lagos on 7 August, NDLEA officers raided an apartment in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, arresting Benjamin Udo Ukoh and recovering 15.63kg of Canadian Loud.
Other seizures last week included:
Nasarawa State: 3,093kg of skunk recovered from three suspects in New Karu.
Kano State: 359kg of skunk seized from Nura Yahaya in Kumbotso; 9kg of Colorado from Umar Adamu Umar; and 20,000 tramadol pills plus 200 diazepam ampoules from Usman Musa at Gadar Tamburawa.
Gombe State: 550,266 opioid pills found in an uncompleted building in Tudun Wadan Pantami, with suspect Usama Isah arrested; 50,000 tramadol capsules seized from Ibrahim Adamu in Bajoga.
Edo State: 23,940 tramadol capsules, 1,100 tablets, and 400 pentazocine ampoules recovered from a bus intercepted at Ewu Junction, with suspect Taiye Jethro in custody.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers in Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano and Edo for their efforts, urging them to sustain the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control, which includes public sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
