The arrest of 61-year-old Lagos socialite and fabric merchant Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, popularly known as “Iya Ruka,” has sent shockwaves through the social and criminal underworld.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended her on January 1, 2025, at her mansion in the Okota area of Lagos, following the interception of a truck loaded with illicit drugs.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the arrest marks the end of a long pursuit, as Alhaja Ajoke has been a wanted figure in the drug trade for years.
Known in high society as a fabric and shoe importer, her public persona concealed her role as the leader of a notorious drug cartel operating out of Mushin, Lagos.
Known in the drug underworld as “lya Ruka”, Alhaja Ajoke as she is fondly called in social circle, has her true identity shrouded in mystery for years while she remained on the wanted list of NDLEA for leading one of the drug cartels operating from Mushin area of Lagos.
The operation began with the interception of a white Isuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks filled with 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis. The truck was driven by one of her employees, 41-year-old Abideen Adio. Acting on intelligence, NDLEA operatives raided her residence on 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, off Ago Palace Way, where they successfully apprehended her.
Despite her public image as a successful businesswoman and her prominent role as the “Iyalaje” of Blessing Sisters, a prestigious club for Lagos society women, the investigation revealed her deep involvement in the illicit drug trade. Her arrest highlights the NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug networks and bringing high-profile traffickers to justice.