By Maxwell Oyekunle
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as Kanmo-Kanmo, ending a 12-year manhunt over the killing of three NDLEA officers.
A statement by the NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi explained that tactical teams of the agency tracked and arrested the suspect on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode, Ogun State, following credible intelligence.
Mr Babafemi said operatives recovered 69 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, during the operation.
Jimoh had been on the run since June 15, 2014, when he mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave, leading to the killing of three officers, including Mr Rabiu Usman Kazaure.
He said a previous raid on the suspect’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, on August 12, 2023, led to the recovery of 1,922 kilogrammes of skunk, though he escaped at the time.
The property, used as a drug warehouse, has since been forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
Other NDLEA Arrests and Drug Seizures Nationwide
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives recorded multiple arrests and seizures across the country.
In Edo State, officers arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Isihor Edika, and seized 320 kilogrammes of skunk during a raid in Arokpa Forest, Owan West Local Government Area.
In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives arrested an online drug vendor, Yinka Agboola, with skunk and cannabis oil at her residence in Kaura District, Abuja, while another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, was arrested with cocaine and cannabis at Abacha Estate.
In Lagos State, officers arrested two suspects in Mushin with 118.1 kilogrammes of skunk, while a warehouse in Enugu yielded 116 kilogrammes of the same substance.
NDLEA operatives in Delta State intercepted a vehicle along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway and arrested two suspects with large quantities of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol, and Molly.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested two suspects in Ibadan with cannabis derivatives and synthetic drugs, while officers also recovered over 52,000 pills of tramadol and bromazepam from a store in the state capital.
In Kwara State, officers seized 387.4 kilogrammes of skunk from a residential building in Ilorin, while a joint operation at Apapa Port, Lagos, uncovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup in a container.
In Jigawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, and an accomplice, Ahmed Sani, with skunk and pills after the suspect attempted to escape and injured an officer during arrest.
Commending the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest of Jimoh as a victory for justice and a reminder that fugitives would eventually be brought to account.
Brigadier General Marwa said the arrest reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to honour the sacrifices of its fallen officers and sustain the fight against drug trafficking nationwide.
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