…Agency recovers massive caches of drugs in nationwide operations
By Chimezie Godfrey
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have finally apprehended long-fugitive drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” ending a 12-year manhunt following his involvement in the brutal murder of three NDLEA officers.
The suspect, notorious for drug trafficking and mobilizing armed thugs against law enforcement agents, was tracked to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, on Friday, January 16, 2026. NDLEA tactical teams acted on credible intelligence to effect the arrest, during which 69 kilograms of skunk—a potent strain of cannabis—were recovered.
“The arrest of Kanmo-kanmo is a triumph of justice and a testament to the Agency’s long memory,” NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said. “It sends a clear message to all drug barons: you may run and hide, but the law will eventually catch up with you.”
Lekan Jimoh’s criminal record is steeped in violence. On June 15, 2014, he orchestrated a mob attack on NDLEA officers attempting to apprehend him, resulting in the cold-blooded murder of Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two colleagues. Despite escaping that day, the Agency has pursued justice relentlessly ever since.
Jimoh’s elusiveness continued, as evidenced in an August 12, 2023 operation at his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where he again evaded arrest. NDLEA recovered 1,922 kilograms of skunk from the raid. The house, which served as a major drug warehouse, has since been forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
The Agency’s recent operations extended beyond Ogun State. On January 13, 2026, Edo State operatives arrested Isihor Edika, 53, in Arokpa forest, Uzebba, Owan West LGA, seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds. In the Federal Capital Territory, Yinka Agboola, 44, was arrested on January 16 with 2.2 kilograms of skunk and liters of cannabis oil produced and sold online from her Kaura home.
Other arrests in Abuja included Tordue Pius Richard, 30, who was apprehended on January 13 with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk. Lagos saw 118.1 kilograms of skunk seized from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan in Mushin on January 16, while a warehouse in Enugu yielded 116 kilograms of the same substance on the same day.
In Delta State, two suspects—Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23—were arrested on January 15 while transporting 410,800 tramadol pills, 84.2 liters of codeine syrup, 82,250 diazepam tablets, 900 swinol tabs, and 65 Molly pills along the Onitsha-Asaba expressway.
Operations in Oyo State led to multiple seizures: Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, was caught with 321 liters of skuchies and 2.5 kilograms of Colorado cannabis, while Rasheed Ajao, 28, had 9.696 kilograms of mixed strains. In Agbeni, 52,430 tramadol and bromazepam pills were recovered from Orji Edwin’s store, who remains at large.
Kwara State operatives recovered 387.4 kilograms of skunk from a building in Gamo, Ilorin, on January 13. At Apapa Port, Lagos, NDLEA in collaboration with Customs recovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup during inspection of a shipment on January 16.
An ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, was arrested in Jigawa State on January 17 with skunk and exol-5 pills after attempting to escape by climbing rooftops and threatening officers with a machete. His accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, was also taken into custody.
Across the nation, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities. Activities included lectures and awareness campaigns in Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina, and Niger State, among others.
While commending operatives across Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu, and Kwara States for their professionalism, Brig. Gen. Marwa stressed that the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo honors the memory of fallen officers. “For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers on his hands. Today, we have proven that the NDLEA does not forget its own,” he said.