The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
Jimoh was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations by NDLEA tactical teams. The agency said 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered during the operation.
Kanmo-Kanmo had been on the run since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs who attacked NDLEA operatives attempting to arrest him at his enclave. The attack resulted in the death of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. Although Jimoh escaped at the time, the agency said it never abandoned efforts to bring him to justice.
In a related development, NDLEA recalled that in August 2023, operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again escaped, but 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms were recovered. The property, used as a warehouse for illicit drugs, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
Meanwhile, the agency recorded multiple arrests and seizures across the country in a series of coordinated raids. In Edo State, operatives arrested a suspected drug lord, Isihor Edika, 53, at Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for allegedly selling illicit drugs online, with skunk and cannabis oil recovered from her residence in Kaura District. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested with cocaine and skunk in Abuja.
Large quantities of drugs were also seized in Lagos, Enugu, Delta, Oyo, Kwara, Jigawa and at the Apapa Port, including skunk, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and other controlled substances. Among those arrested was an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, in Jigawa State, who allegedly attempted to escape during his arrest.
Commenting on the development, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo as a major triumph of justice and a reminder that fugitives cannot evade the law indefinitely. He said the arrest was significant for the families of the slain officers who had waited over a decade for justice.
Marwa also commended NDLEA officers across various commands for their efforts and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach of enforcement and drug abuse prevention nationwide.