After months on the run, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele, also known as Abbas Ajakaiye, the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, for allegedly masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.
The cleric was apprehended on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at his church in Okun Ajah, along Ogombo Road in the Lekki area of Lagos.
NDLEA officers, who had laid in wait since morning, swooped in immediately after he stepped out of the church premises following the conclusion of evening service.
According to the NDLEA, the arrest followed a manhunt that began in June after the interception of two separate consignments of “Ghana Loud” — a potent strain of cannabis — linked to the suspect.
The first seizure, weighing 200kg, was made on June 4, 2025, at Okun Ajah Beach. A second bust on July 6, 2025, yielded a staggering 700kg from his delivery van.
Investigations revealed that Prophet Olasele twice evaded capture before fleeing to Ghana, where he went into hiding.
In his confession, he admitted to smuggling the consignments via waterways from Ghana into Nigeria, confirming that he fled the country after narrowly escaping arrest on two occasions.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, August 10, 2025, describing it as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s crackdown on cross-border drug trafficking networks.
