Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have 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 was apprehended on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at his church in Okun Ajah, Ogombo Road, Lekki, Lagos, shortly after concluding a worship service. NDLEA officers had reportedly laid siege to the premises from morning before arresting him as he stepped out.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement yesterday that the clergyman’s arrest followed months of surveillance after two seizures of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, linked to him. Babafemi said the suspect had twice evaded arrest and fled to Ghana in June to hide from operatives.
According to the statement, 200 kilogrammes of the psychoactive substance were recovered at Okun Ajah beach on June 4, while another 700 kilogrammes were seized from his delivery van on July 6. Olasele allegedly admitted to transporting the drugs by waterways from Ghana.
In a separate operation in Lagos on Thursday, August 7, NDLEA operatives raided an apartment at Kishi House, 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, arresting Benjamin Udo Ukoh and seizing 32 pouches of Canadian Loud cannabis weighing 15.63 kilogrammes.
In Nasarawa State, 3,093 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered on Saturday, August 9, from three suspects: Emmanuel Asoquo Johnny, 51; Okem Raphael, 33; and Chekwube Odo, 25, at New Karu.
In Kano State, 29-year-old Nura Yahaya was arrested on Friday, August 8, in the Geza area of Kumbotso with 639 blocks of skunk weighing 359 kilogrammes. On Wednesday, August 6, Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was apprehended along the Zaria–Kano road with nine kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis strain. Another suspect, Usman Musa, 30, was intercepted on Friday, August 8, at Gadar Tamburawa with 20,000 tramadol pills and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection.
In Gombe State, a raid on an uncompleted building at Tudun Wadan Pantami on Friday, August 8, led to the seizure of 550,266 opioid pills, mainly tramadol, and the arrest of Usama Isah. On Saturday, August 9, Ibrahim Adamu, 23, was arrested along Potiskum road, Bajoga, with 50,000 tramadol capsules.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, August 6, intercepted a white Toyota Hiace bus marked YAB 5522 K at Ewu junction. A search uncovered 23,940 tramadol capsules, 1,100 tramadol tablets, and 400 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
The driver, Taiye Jethro, was arrested.
Meanwhile, NDLEA Commands across the country continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano and Edo Commands for their arrests and seizures, urging officers to sustain a balanced approach to drug control efforts.
