Cross-border drug trafficking: General overseer arrested in Lagos church

Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele (alias Abbas Ajakaiye), for masterminding multiple illicit drug shipments into Nigeria. The suspect, who had fled abroad to evade arrest, was apprehended on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at his church located along Okun Ajah, Ogombo Road, Lekki, Lagos. According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, operatives waited until the end of the Sunday worship service before making the arrest.

Babafemi disclosed that Prophet Adefolusho had been on the run since June, after two major seizures of Ghana Loud, a potent cannabis strain, were traced to him.

The first seizure—200kg—was made at Okun Ajah beach on June 4, while another 700kg was recovered from his delivery van on July 6. In his statement, the cleric confessed to trafficking the drugs via waterways from Ghana into Nigeria and admitted fleeing to Ghana after narrowly evading arrest twice.

Lagos State

On August 7, NDLEA operatives raided an apartment at Kishi House, 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, arresting one Benjamin Udo Ukoh and recovering 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, weighing 15.63kg. Vanguard