NDLEA Arrests Lagos Pastor for Alleged Cross-Border Drug Trafficking
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele, also known as Abbas Ajakaiye, over his alleged role in the trafficking of large consignments of illicit drugs from Ghana into Nigeria.
The clergyman was arrested on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at his church on Okun Ajah, Ogombo Road, Lekki, Lagos, shortly after concluding the day’s worship service. NDLEA officers had reportedly laid siege to the premises since morning, waiting for the service to end before moving in.
Olasele’s arrest followed months of evading capture. He had twice escaped arrest and fled to Ghana after NDLEA operatives linked him to two major seizures of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis. The first interception, involving 200kg of the drug, occurred at Okun Ajah Beach on June 4, 2025, while a second consignment weighing 700kg was recovered from his delivery van on July 6, 2025.
In his confessional statement, the suspect admitted to ferrying the substances into Nigeria via waterways and confirmed hiding in Ghana to avoid arrest.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, August 10, 2025, from the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
