The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” bringing an end to a 12-year manhunt linked to the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers.
The agency confirmed that Jimoh was apprehended on Friday after operatives tracked him to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following sustained intelligence-led surveillance.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
According to Babafemi, the suspect—widely known for drug trafficking, repeated evasion of arrest, and mobilising armed thugs against law enforcement—was found in possession of 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, at the time of his arrest.
He described the development as a major breakthrough, stressing that the arrest demonstrates the agency’s resolve to ensure that no fugitive remains beyond the reach of justice, no matter how long it takes.
Jimoh’s criminal record is marked by extreme violence. On June 15, 2014, he allegedly orchestrated a brutal mob attack on NDLEA operatives who attempted to arrest him at his enclave. The attack led to the cold-blooded murder of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, after armed thugs mobilised by the suspect overpowered the team.
Although Jimoh escaped during the incident, the agency remained determined to bring him to justice.
In a subsequent operation on August 12, 2023, NDLEA operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again evaded arrest. However, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms from the premises.
Following court proceedings initiated by the agency, the property—used as a warehouse for illicit drugs—was forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, NDLEA recorded several other major arrests and seizures across the country.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West LGA, arresting a 53-year-old drug lord, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives arrested Yinka Agboola, 44, for selling illicit drugs online. Recovered from her Kaura District residence were 2.2kg of skunk and several litres of cannabis oil allegedly produced in her kitchen.
Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested in Abuja with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, NDLEA seized 118.1kg of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan in the Fadeyi area of Mushin, while 116kg of the same substance was recovered from a warehouse at the New Market area of Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, operatives arrested Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, with large quantities of illicit drugs, including 410,800 pills of tramadol, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam, and other controlled substances.
In Oyo State, multiple arrests led to the seizure of large volumes of skuchies, skunk, and synthetic cannabis (colorado) in Ibadan, while over 52,000 pills of tramadol and bromazepam were recovered during a raid in the Agbeni area.
In Kwara State, operatives seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4kg from a residential building in Ilorin, while a joint operation at Apapa Port, Lagos, uncovered 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 with quantities of skunk and illicit pills. Ammani reportedly attempted to escape violently, injuring an NDLEA officer before being subdued.
Commending officers across Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu, Kwara, and Apapa Commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), described the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo as a triumph of justice.
He said the development sends a clear and unambiguous message to drug barons and fugitives that the agency has a long memory and will relentlessly pursue offenders.