The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has taken into custody the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Olasele, popularly known as Abbas Ajakaiye, over allegations linking him to multiple consignments of illicit drugs smuggled from Ghana into Nigeria.
The cleric, who had reportedly evaded capture for several months, was arrested on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at his church premises in Okun Ajah, Lekki, Lagos. According to a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, operatives maintained surveillance throughout the day, waiting for the end of the evening worship service before detaining him as he stepped out of the premises.
Investigations by the agency allegedly tied Olasele to two separate seizures of cannabis. The first, weighing 200 kilograms, was intercepted on June 4 at Okun Ajah beach. The second, a much larger consignment weighing 700 kilograms, was discovered on July 6 inside his delivery van. Following these incidents, the suspect was said to have fled to Ghana in an effort to avoid arrest, having already evaded NDLEA operatives on two previous occasions.
In his statement after being apprehended, Babafemi disclosed that the pastor admitted to transporting the drug consignments through waterways from Ghana into Nigeria. He reportedly explained that his decision to cross into Ghana was to hide from authorities after narrowly escaping capture in the past.
While confirming Olasele’s arrest, Babafemi also revealed details of other recent anti-narcotics operations. In Lagos, operatives raided an apartment in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, arresting one Benjamin Ukoh and confiscating 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, a variant of cannabis, weighing 15.63 kilograms. In Nasarawa State, three individuals, Emmanuel Asoquo Johnny, 51; Okem Raphael, 33; and Chekwube Odo, 25, were apprehended in New Karu with a large haul of skunk weighing 3,093 kilograms.
In Kano State, NDLEA personnel arrested 29-year-old Nura Yahaya in the Geza area of Kumbotso with 639 blocks of skunk totaling 359 kilograms, while another man, Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was taken into custody along the Zaria-Kano Road with 9 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
In Gombe State, a raid on an incomplete building in Tudun Wadan Pantami led to the recovery of 550,266 opioid tablets and the arrest of one Usama Isah. The following day, officers along Potiskum Road, Bajoga, intercepted Ibrahim Adamu, 23, with 50,000 capsules of tramadol.
In Edo State, a Toyota Hiace bus traveling from Onitsha to Isanlu, Kogi State, was stopped at the Ewu junction on August 6. Inside, officers discovered 23,940 tramadol capsules, 1,100 assorted tablets, and 400 ampoules of pentazocine. The driver, identified as Taiye Jethro, was detained.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retired), praised the personnel involved in these coordinated operations and encouraged all officers across the country to maintain vigilance while balancing enforcement measures with community engagement in the ongoing effort to curb drug trafficking and abuse.
What You Should Know
Prophet Adefolusho Olasele, also known as Abbas Ajakaiye, was arrested in Lagos for allegedly coordinating large-scale cannabis smuggling from Ghana into Nigeria via waterways.
His capture is part of a broader NDLEA crackdown that has resulted in multiple arrests and significant drug seizures across several Nigerian states.
