Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” a notorious drug kingpin who had evaded capture for 12 years following his alleged role in the killing of three NDLEA officers.
According to a release on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Jimoh was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, after tactical teams of the Agency tracked him to a hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, acting on credible intelligence. During the operation, officers recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from the suspect.
The arrest brings to a close a prolonged manhunt that began in June 2014, when Jimoh allegedly orchestrated a violent mob attack on NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his base. The incident led to the death of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. While Jimoh escaped at the time, the Agency maintained an active pursuit, vowing to bring him to justice.
NDLEA recalled that in August 2023, operatives stormed Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again escaped arrest. However, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing about 1,922 kilograms. The property, which was being used as a warehouse for illicit drugs, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court-ordered asset forfeiture proceedings.
Commenting on the arrest, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described it as a “triumph of justice” and a reminder that fugitives can evade the law only temporarily.
According to Marwa, the capture of Jimoh closes a painful chapter for the Agency and the families of the slain officers. He said the arrest underscored the NDLEA’s institutional resolve and long memory, stressing that time does not erase crimes committed against the state or its personnel.
Beyond the high-profile arrest in Ogun State, NDLEA operatives recorded a series of coordinated operations across the country in the past week.
In Edo State, officers raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, with 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
Equally in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, over the online sale of illicit substances. Items recovered from her residence in Kaura District included 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil allegedly produced and marketed from her home. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was also arrested in Abuja with cocaine and skunk.
Significant seizures were also recorded in Lagos, Enugu, Delta, Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa states, involving large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and other controlled substances. At the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies led to the discovery of more than 157,000 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.
The Agency further reported sustained public enlightenment under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, with sensitisation programmes held in schools, religious centres and communities across Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina and Niger states, among others.
Marwa commended officers and men of the Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu and Kwara Commands for their commitment, urging them to maintain momentum in the Agency’s balanced enforcement and prevention strategy.
He added that the arrest of “Kanmo-kanmo” sends an unequivocal warning to drug barons and fugitives nationwide that the law will eventually catch up with them.