Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt following his alleged involvement in the brutal murder of three NDLEA officers in 2014.
Jimoh, who had remained on the agency’s most-wanted list for more than a decade, was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, after NDLEA tactical teams tracked him to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, acting on credible intelligence. During the carefully executed operation, operatives recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from the suspect.
The arrest represents a major breakthrough for the anti-drug agency and underscores its determination to ensure that no fugitive, regardless of how long they evade arrest, escapes justice. NDLEA officials described the operation as clinical and intelligence-driven, reflecting months of surveillance and coordinated efforts to finally close in on the suspect.
Lekan Jimoh’s criminal profile is marked by years of violent resistance to law enforcement and large-scale drug trafficking. On June 15, 2014, he allegedly orchestrated a deadly mob attack on NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave. The attack resulted in the killing of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, who were reportedly murdered by armed thugs mobilised by Jimoh. While he managed to escape during the incident, the killings left a lasting scar within the agency.
NDLEA officials said the agency never relented in its resolve to bring Jimoh to justice, despite his repeated escapes and ability to evade arrest for years. The latest arrest, they noted, brings closure to a painful chapter and serves as a reminder of the agency’s institutional memory and commitment to its fallen personnel.
This was not the first time NDLEA operatives had closed in on the suspect. On August 12, 2023, operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo town, Ogun State. Although Jimoh escaped during that raid, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing a total of 1,922 kilograms. The property, which was used as a warehouse for his illicit drug operations, later became the subject of forfeiture proceedings. Following a court order, the house has since been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
Beyond the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo, NDLEA recorded multiple major seizures and arrests across several states in the past week, reflecting the scale and intensity of its nationwide anti-drug operations.
In Edo State, operatives on Tuesday, January 13, raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a 53-year-old drug suspect, Isihor Edika. During the operation, officers seized 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds believed to be meant for further cultivation.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Friday, January 16, arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, following intelligence reports on her alleged online sale of illicit drugs. A search of her residence in the Kaura District led to the recovery of 2.2 kilograms of skunk and several litres of cannabis oil, which investigators said she produced in her kitchen and advertised online. Another suspect, 30-year-old Tordue Pius Richard, was arrested on Tuesday, January 13, at his residence on Biskira Street, Abacha Estate, Abuja, with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos State, operatives seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from two suspects, Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan, at the Fadeyi area of Mushin on Friday, January 16. On the same day, another 116 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a warehouse at the New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, January 15, arrested two suspects, Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, while they were transporting large quantities of controlled substances. Items seized included 410,800 pills of tramadol, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam, 900 tablets of swinol and 65 pills of Molly.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 33-year-old Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi at Moniya, Ibadan, on Thursday, January 15, with 321 litres of skuchies and 2.5 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. On the same day, another suspect, Rasheed Ajao, 28, was apprehended at Odo-Ona, Ibadan, with a combined total of 9.696 kilograms of illicit substances, including Scottish Loud, skunk and Colorado. In a related raid at the Agbeni area of Ibadan on Saturday, January 17, officers recovered 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam from a store belonging to a suspect, Orji Edwin, who remains at large.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives raided a residential building in the Gamo area of Ilorin on Tuesday, January 13, seizing 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.40 kilograms. Meanwhile, at the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies on Friday, January 16, led to the discovery of 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.
In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, was arrested on Saturday, January 17, alongside his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim Local Government Area. Gaddafi reportedly attempted to escape by climbing rooftops and threatened NDLEA operatives with a machete, injuring one officer before he was subdued and arrested. Various quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills were recovered from the suspects.
In addition to enforcement operations, NDLEA officers across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. These activities included enlightenment programmes at Umar Bin Khathab Islamiyyah School in Kano, Tumbey College in Ikorodu, Anglican Secondary School in Makurdi, as well as engagements with members of the Katsina Emirate and residents of Maitumbi community in Minna.
Commending the officers involved in the recent operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), praised the commitment of commands in Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, the FCT, Enugu and Kwara States. He urged personnel nationwide to sustain the current momentum and maintain a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
Describing the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo as a triumph of justice, Marwa said it sent a clear message to drug barons and fugitives that time does not erase crime.
“The arrest of Lekan Jimoh is particularly significant because it closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014,” Marwa said. “For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers on his hands. This arrest is for the families of those officers who waited 12 years for justice.”
