The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin Lekan Jimoh, widely known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt linked to the gruesome murder of three NDLEA officers.
The anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday explained that Jimoh, infamous for drug trafficking, violent resistance to arrest and the mobilisation of armed thugs against law enforcement, was apprehended on Friday, 16 January 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA tactical operatives carried out a carefully planned operation that led to his arrest and the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, found in his possession.
“The arrest represents a major breakthrough for the Agency and reinforces its resolve that no fugitive, no matter how long they evade justice, is beyond the reach of the law”, Babafemi stated.
Jimoh’s criminal record is steeped in violence. On 15 June 2014, he orchestrated a brutal mob attack on NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave. The attack led to the cold-blooded killing of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, who were murdered by armed thugs mobilised by Jimoh. While he escaped at the time, the NDLEA remained unwavering in its pursuit of justice for its fallen personnel.
In a subsequent operation on 12 August 2023, NDLEA operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State. Although Jimoh again evaded arrest, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms. Following court-ordered forfeiture proceedings, the house—used as a warehouse for his illicit drug operations—was eventually forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operations across the country recorded multiple arrests and seizures.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West LGA, on Tuesday, 13 January, arresting a 53-year-old drug lord, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested on Friday, 16 January, following intelligence on her online sale of illicit drugs. Recovered from her Kaura District residence were 2.2 kilograms of skunk and several litres of cannabis oil produced in her kitchen. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested on Tuesday, 13 January, at Abacha Estate, Abuja, with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, 118.1 kilograms of skunk were seized from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi, Mushin, on Friday, 16 January, while 116 kilograms of the same substance were recovered from a warehouse at the New Market area of Enugu State on the same day.
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 LGA, with quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills. Gaddafi attempted to escape by climbing rooftops and threatened operatives with a machete, injuring one officer before he was subdued.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA commands nationwide sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, including outreach programmes in Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina and Niger States.
Commending officers of the various commands were significant arrests and seizures were recorded, Ogun, for their dedication, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo as a triumph of justice and proof of the Agency’s long memory.
He said the arrest sends a clear message to drug barons and fugitives that justice may be delayed but will not be denied.
“The arrest of Lekan Jimoh closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014. For twelve years, he lived with the blood of our gallant officers—Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others—on his hands. Today, we have shown that the NDLEA does not forget its own. This arrest is for the families who have waited 12 years for justice,” Marwa stated.
