NDLEA Arrests Lagos Socialite And Nollywood Filmmaker For Drug Trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended two prominent individuals in connection with major drug trafficking activities. A well-known Lagos socialite, Aishat Elediye, and a US-trained Nollywood filmmaker, Emeka Mbadiwe, were arrested in separate operations.

Socialite’s Arrest
NDLEA operatives raided the Okota mansion of 61-year-old Aishat Elediye, also known as “Iya Ruka” or “Alhaja Ajoke,” following the interception of a white Izuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks of imported cannabis weighing 1,540 kilograms. The truck was driven by her employee, Abideen Adio, who was also arrested.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Elediye had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list for years, allegedly operating a drug cartel from Mushin, Lagos. Publicly, she was known as a businesswoman dealing in fabrics and shoes imported from China, as well as the Iyalaje of Blessing Sisters, a prominent Lagos women’s club.

Filmmaker’s Arrest
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers arrested Emeka Mbadiwe, a Nollywood filmmaker and motivational speaker, at a hotel in Lekki. His associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, had been detained earlier at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.

James was caught retrieving a shipment of 33 parcels of Loud, a potent cannabis strain weighing 17.30 kilograms. The shipment, concealed in wooden boxes, had arrived on December 24, 2024, via a Delta Airlines flight from the United States.

Both suspects are currently in NDLEA custody as investigations continue.