NDLEA Arrests Wanted Lagos Socialite, Alhaja Aishat Elediye, Over Drug Trafficking, Seizes 1,540kg Of Cannabis

Abuja, Nigeria– Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted drug kingpin and Lagos socialite, 61-year-old Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, popularly known as “Iya Ruka,” in her mansion located in the Okota area of Lagos State.

Elediye, whose identity had been shrouded in mystery for years, was apprehended on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, following the interception of a truckload of illicit drugs linked to her operations.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the arrest came after operatives, acting on intelligence, intercepted a white Isuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks filled with 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis.

It was gathered that the truck, driven by 41-year-old Abideen Adio, a staff member of the drug cartel, was seized earlier that day.

However, further investigations led operatives to her hideout at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, off Ago Palace Way, Okota, where she was arrested.

Meanwhile, Elediye has long been on NDLEA’s wanted list for allegedly leading a drug cartel operating from the Mushin area of Lagos.

While she was known in social circles as “Alhaja Ajoke,” her criminal activities in the underworld have reportedly spanned years, with her evading capture until now.

The statement said, “On the surface, Alhaja Ajoke is a businesswoman who imports fabrics and shoes from China but beneath is a massive illicit drug trade. She is also recognized as the Iyalaje of Blessing Sisters, an influential club of society women in Lagos.

“In another major operation, NDLEA officers on Friday 27th December 2024 arrested a US-trained Hollywood and Nollywood filmmaker, Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe, who is also a motivational speaker at his Lekki Hotel room following the arrest of his partner, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James.

“However, earlier same day at a warehouse in Ajao estate Ikeja, where he was sent by Mbadiwe to collect a shipment of 33 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms, which arrived the Import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja on 24th December 2024 from the United States on a Delta Airline flight, concealed in large wooden boxes,” he added.