The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested long-wanted drug kingpin Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” ending a 12-year manhunt linked to the murder of three NDLEA officers in 2014.
The suspect was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following what the Agency described as “credible intelligence” and a carefully coordinated operation. NDLEA operatives recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, during the arrest.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest marked a breakthrough in the Agency’s fight against drug trafficking and impunity.
“Operatives of the NDLEA have successfully apprehended a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as ‘Kanmo-Kanmo,’ ending a 12-year manhunt following his involvement in the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers,” Babafemi said.
Jimoh had been on the run since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers attempting to arrest him at his enclave. Three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, were killed during the mob attack, while the suspect escaped.
Despite his escape, Babafemi noted that the Agency remained committed to tracking him down. In August 2023, NDLEA operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again evaded arrest, although 139 sacks of skunk weighing about 1,922 kilograms were recovered. The property, which served as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
Beyond Jimoh’s arrest, the NDLEA recorded multiple seizures and arrests across several states in coordinated raids over the past week.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting 53-year-old 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 for allegedly producing and selling cannabis oil online, with 2.2 kilograms of skunk and cannabis oil recovered from her residence in Kaura District.
Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested in Abuja with cocaine and skunk. While in Lagos, operatives seized over 118 kilograms of skunk from suspects in Mushin and uncovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup at the Apapa port during a joint inspection with Customs and other security agencies.
Significant seizures were also recorded in Enugu, Delta, Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa states, including tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, Molly pills, synthetic cannabis and other illicit substances. In Jigawa, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, was arrested after attempting to escape arrest by climbing rooftops while armed with a machete, injuring one NDLEA officer in the process.
Reacting to the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described it as “a triumph of justice.”
“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you,” Marwa said.
He added that the arrest closed a painful chapter for the Agency and the families of the fallen officers.
“For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers—Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others—on his hands. He mistakenly thought that time had erased his crimes. Today, we have proven that the NDLEA does not forget its own,” Marwa said. “This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice.”
Marwa commended NDLEA commands across Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Oyo, the FCT, Enugu and Kwara for their efforts and urged officers nationwide to sustain the Agency’s balanced approach of enforcement and prevention.
The NDLEA also said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres and communities across the country during the week under review.
