The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a notorious drug kingpin and socialite, Aishat Elediye, alongside a US-trained Nollywood filmmaker, Eme Mbadiwe, in connection with separate drug trafficking operations.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Elediye, 61, popularly known as “Iya Ruka” in the drug underworld, was arrested on January 1 at her mansion in Okota, Lagos.
The arrest followed the interception of a truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks of imported hemp, weighing 1,540 kilograms. The truck, driven by her staff member, 41-year-old Abideen Adio, was seized based on intelligence reports.
NDLEA operatives raided Elediye’s residence at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, Ago Palace Way, where she was taken into custody.
Elediye, who is also known as “Alhaja Elediye” in Lagos’ social circles, has allegedly operated as the leader of a drug cartel in the Mushin area for years while maintaining a front as a fabric and shoe importer from China. She is also the “Iyalaje” of Blessing Sisters, an influential society club.
In another operation, NDLEA officers arrested filmmaker and motivational speaker Eme Mbadiwe on December 27, 2024, at a hotel in Lekki, Lagos. His arrest followed the earlier capture of his associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu, at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.
Mr. Babafemi revealed that Ugochukwu had been sent by Mbadiwe to retrieve a shipment of 33 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 17.30 kilograms. The drugs, which were concealed in large wooden boxes, had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on December 24 via a Delta Airlines flight from the United States.
The NDLEA continues its crackdown on drug trafficking networks across the country. Both suspects are currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
