Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” bringing an end to a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
Jimoh was arrested on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following credible intelligence by NDLEA tactical teams. During the operation, officers recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from the suspect.
The arrest is considered a major breakthrough for the Agency, as Jimoh has been on the run since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA operatives attempting to arrest him.
The attack resulted in the killing of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. While Jimoh escaped at the time, the Agency continued its pursuit until his eventual capture.
In another operation on August 12, 2023, NDLEA officers had stormed Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again escaped arrest.
However, operatives recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms. The property, which served as a warehouse for drugs, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
Meanwhile, NDLEA recorded several other arrests and seizures across the country in the past week. In Edo State, operatives raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting 53-year-old Isihor Edika with 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested in Kaura District for selling illicit drugs online. Recovered from her home were 2.2 kilograms of skunk and litres of cannabis oil. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested in Abuja with cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan in Mushin, while another 116 kilograms was recovered from a warehouse in Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects, Zaharadeen Yahaya and Sanusi Maman, were arrested with large quantities of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly pills.
In Oyo State, several suspects were arrested in Ibadan with large volumes of skuchies, Colorado and skunk, while thousands of tramadol and bromazepam pills were recovered from a store at Agbeni area.
NDLEA operatives also seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4 kilograms in Ilorin, Kwara State, and discovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup in a container at Apapa Port, Lagos, during a joint inspection with other security agencies.
In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, and his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, were arrested with skunk and pills after Ammani attempted to escape and injured an NDLEA officer with a machete.
Across the country, NDLEA officers also carried out War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, communities, worship centres and workplaces.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a victory for justice.
He said the arrest sends a strong message to drug traffickers and fugitives that no crime is forgotten. According to him, the capture of Jimoh brings closure to the families of the three officers killed in 2014 and reaffirms the Agency’s commitment to justice and accountability.
