Aderinoye Queen Christmas, also known as Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, a former beauty queen who had been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has surrendered to the Lagos State Command after spending approximately eight months in hiding.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced in a statement on Sunday, September 1, 2024, that Aderinoye voluntarily turned herself in on Wednesday, August 28.
The former beauty queen, crowned Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016, had been on the run since January 2024 after narrowly escaping a raid by anti-narcotic operatives at her residence in the Lekki area of Lagos.
The raid followed intelligence reports linking her to illicit drug activities.
According to Babafemi, Aderinoye had been hiding in Akure, Ondo State, since her escape. During the raid on her Lekki home, NDLEA officials, accompanied by representatives of the estate, recovered 606 grams of Canadian Loud (a potent synthetic strain of cannabis), an electronic weighing scale, a large quantity of drug packaging materials, a black RAV 4 SUV with Lagos license plates, and other items.
In related developments, NDLEA operatives seized a substantial haul of cannabis in Lagos State. On Monday, August 26, officers intercepted 1,122 kilograms of cannabis from a suspect identified as Mustapha Ibrahim along Orchid Road in Ajah.
In a separate operation, an additional 816 kilograms of cannabis, linked to another suspect who is still at large, was recovered from the same area.
Responding to these recent seizures and the surrender of Aderinoye, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their vigilance and professionalism.
He praised the agency’s operatives nationwide for their dedication to the ongoing efforts in drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction.
The NDLEA continues to intensify its crackdown on drug-related crimes, with Brig.-Gen. Marwa reaffirming the agency’s commitment to rooting out drug traffickers and ensuring that those involved in the illegal drug trade are brought to justice.
