By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
MORE THAN a decade of manhunt ended as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo Kanmo,” on Saturday.
He is linked to the killing of three of NDLEA officers as the agency also recovered diverse illicit drugs from his hideout during coordinated raids across several states.
The agency confirmed his arrest following an operation carried out on Friday 16 January 2026 in Owode town, Ogun State.
NDLEA said its tactical teams tracked him to his hideout based on credible intelligence as its officers recovered 69kg of skunk from him during the operation.
The arrest came 12 years after the suspect orchestrated a violent mob attack on NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him on 15 June 2014, leading to the killing of three officers including Rabiu Usman Kazaure.
NDLEA stated that Jimoh had mobilised armed thugs against the officers and escaped from the scene.
The agency also said operatives previously raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado Odo town, Ogun State, on 12 August 2023 but he escaped during that operation.
However, the officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1922kg as the house, used as a warehouse for illicit drugs, was later forfeited to the Federal Government (FG) following court proceedings instituted by the agency.
In Edo State, operatives on Tuesday 13 January raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area where they arrested Isihor Edika, 53, and seized 320kg of skunk and seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), officers on Friday 16 January arrested Yinka Agboola, 44, over the online sale of illicit substances. NDLEA recovered 2.2kg of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil from her home in Kaura district, Abuja.
Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested on Tuesday 13 January at his residence on Biskira Street, Abacha Estate, Abuja, with 148.3g of cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, officers also seized 118.1kg of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi area of Mushin on Friday 16 January while in Enugu State, 116kg of skunk was recovered from a warehouse at New Market area the same day.
NDLEA operatives also arrested Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, along the Onitsha Asaba expressway in Delta State on Thursday 15 January.
They were conveying 410800 tramadol pills, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82250 tablets of diazepam, 900 swinol tablets and 65 pills of Molly.
In Oyo State, officers arrested Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, at Moniya area of Ibadan on Thursday 15 January with 321 litres of skuchies and 2.5kg of Colorado.
Rasheed Ajao, 28, was arrested the same day at Odo Ona area of Ibadan with 5.4kg of Scottish Loud, 1.696kg of skunk and 2.5kg of Colorado.
NDLEA said it also recovered 52430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam from a store at Agbeni area of Ibadan on Saturday 17 January as the owner, Orji Edwin, was reported to be at large.
In Kwara State, operatives on Tuesday 13 January raided a residential building at Gamo area of Ilorin and seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.40kg.
At Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies discovered 157519 bottles of codeine syrup during a joint examination of a container on Friday 16 January.
In Jigawa State, officers arrested an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and his accomplice Ahmed Sani, 32, at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim Local Government Area, on Saturday 17 January.
NDLEA said Ammani attempted to escape by climbing rooftops, threatened officers with a machete and injured one officer before his arrest.
Across commands nationwide, NDLEA officers also carried out War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.
These included lectures at Umar Bin Khathab Islamiyyah School in Kano, Tumbey College in Ikorodu, Anglican Secondary School in Makurdi, sessions with members of Katsina emirate and residents of Maitumbi community in Minna.
As usual, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa Retired, commended officers of the Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu and Kwara Commands for the arrests and seizures.
He described the arrest of Kanmo kanmo as a triumph of justice and said it sent a clear message to drug barons and fugitives.
“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you,” Marwa affirmed.
He described the arrest of Lekan Jimoh as one that closed a painful chapter that began on 15 June 2014, adding that the agency does not forget its officers and their sacrifices.
