Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully apprehended Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, widely known as ‘Iya Ruka,’ a 61-year-old notorious drug queen and Lagos socialite.
The arrest occurred on Wednesday, January 1, at her residence in the Okota area of Lagos after her employee, 41-year-old Abideen Adio, was intercepted while transporting a truckload of illicit drugs.
According to an NDLEA statement from spokesman Femi Babafemi, the truck, which was loaded with 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis concealed in 44 jumbo sacks, was intercepted on the same day.
Iya Ruka, a known fabric and shoe importer, had long been on the run for allegedly leading a drug cartel operating out of Mushin, Lagos.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers in Kwara State arrested 24-year-old Khadijat Abdulraheem and 20-year-old Ayomide Morakinyo, both of whom were found to be producing and distributing drug-laced cupcakes.
Forty-two of these cupcakes were seized from their apartment near the University of Ilorin.
Additionally, the NDLEA’s MMIA Strategic Command rearrested ex-convict Sodade Sunday Eniola, involved in passport racketeering.
Eniola, previously convicted for drug trafficking in June 2024, was caught in a syndicate attempting to smuggle 52 passports hidden in shipments bound for Canada, Russia, and other countries.
Further operations also led to significant drug seizures, including 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex and 149,090 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a local dealer in Kano.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the agency’s nationwide efforts, highlighting the balanced approach in tackling both the supply and demand of drugs through ongoing sensitization campaigns in communities and institutions.
