Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt over his alleged involvement in the killing of three NDLEA officers.
Jimoh, notorious for drug trafficking, evading arrest and mobilising armed thugs against security agents, was apprehended on Friday, 16 January 2026, after NDLEA tactical teams tracked him to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following credible intelligence. During the operation, officers recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from the suspect.
A statement issued by NDLEA explained that the arrest represents a major breakthrough in the Agency’s resolve to ensure that no fugitive remains beyond the reach of the law.
According to the statement, the suspect’s criminal history is marked by extreme violence.
“On 15 June 2014, Jimoh allegedly orchestrated a 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, by armed thugs mobilised by the suspect.
“Although he escaped at the time, the Agency sustained its pursuit of justice for the fallen officers.
“In another encounter on 12 August 2023, NDLEA operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo town, Ogun State, where he again evaded arrest.
“However, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms.
“Following forfeiture proceedings, the property, which served as a warehouse for his illicit trade, was subsequently forfeited to the Federal Government”.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Edo State on Tuesday, 13 January, raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting another drug lord, Isihor Edika, 53, and seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and seeds. In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives on Friday, 16 January, arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, over the online sale of illicit drugs. Recovered from her Kaura District residence were 2.2 kilograms of skunk and litres of cannabis oil allegedly produced in her kitchen. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested on Tuesday, 13 January, with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk at his Abacha Estate home.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi, Mushin, on Friday, 16 January, while another 116 kilograms was recovered from a warehouse at the New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State, the same day.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects, Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, were arrested on Thursday, 15 January, while conveying 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, Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, was arrested on Thursday, 15 January, at Moniya, Ibadan, with 321 litres of skuchies and 2.5 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. On the same day, Rasheed Ajao, 28, was arrested at Odo-Ona, Ibadan, with various quantities of illicit drugs weighing a total of 9.696 kilograms. In another raid at Agbeni, Ibadan, on Saturday, 17 January, officers recovered 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam from a store belonging to Orji Edwin, who is currently at large.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, 13 January, raided a residential building at Gamo area of Ilorin, seizing 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.40 kilograms. At the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies on Friday, 16 January, led to the discovery of 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.
In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, were arrested on Saturday, 17 January, at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim Local Government Area, with quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills. Ammani reportedly attempted to escape by climbing rooftops and threatening operatives with a machete, during which an officer sustained an injury.
Across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. These included lectures at Umar Bin Khathab Islamiyyah School, Kurna, Kano; Tumbey College, Ikorodu, Lagos; Anglican Secondary School, Makurdi, Benue; engagements with members of the Katsina Emirate; and outreach to residents of Maitumbi community, Minna, Niger State, among others.
Commending officers of the Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu and Kwara Commands for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their dedication and urged them to sustain the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
Describing the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a triumph of justice, Marwa said it sends a clear message to fugitives that time does not erase crime. He noted that the arrest closes a painful chapter that began on 15 June 2014 and honours the memory of the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
“This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice,” Marwa said.
The statement was issued by
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA.
