The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, also known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” 12 years after he was linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers in Ogun State. The arrest marks the end of a manhunt that began in June 2014 and has been described by the agency as a major victory in its fight against drug trafficking and violence against law enforcement officers.
Jimoh was arrested on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode town, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations carried out by NDLEA tactical teams. According to the agency, he was tracked to his hideout after weeks of surveillance and careful planning. A search of the location led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said Jimoh had been on the agency’s wanted list since June 15, 2014. On that day, NDLEA officers attempted to arrest him at his enclave in Ogun State, but the operation turned deadly.
Babafemi explained that Jimoh allegedly mobilised armed thugs who attacked the officers. Three NDLEA personnel, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others, were brutally killed during the incident. While the officers lost their lives in the line of duty, Jimoh escaped and went into hiding, evading arrest for more than a decade.
“The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no fugitive, regardless of how long they evade justice, remains beyond the reach of the law,” Babafemi said. He added that Jimoh’s criminal history is marked by violence, drug trafficking, and repeated attempts to resist law enforcement.
The NDLEA said its determination to bring Jimoh to justice never faded, despite the years that passed. Officers continued to gather intelligence and monitor drug networks linked to him across Ogun and neighbouring states.
This was not the first time the agency came close to arresting Jimoh after the 2014 incident. On August 12, 2023, NDLEA operatives raided his residence in Ado-Odo area of Ogun State. During that operation, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing about 1,922 kilograms. The property was being used as a drug warehouse.
However, Jimoh once again escaped arrest. Following court proceedings, the property was forfeited to the Federal Government, dealing a major blow to his drug operations. The NDLEA said the loss of the warehouse did not stop its efforts to track him down.
The arrest of Jimoh comes amid a series of coordinated nationwide operations by the NDLEA aimed at disrupting drug supply chains and arresting suspects involved in drug trafficking and related crimes.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, January 13, raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area. During the operation, a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, was arrested. Officers seized 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds believed to be meant for large-scale cultivation.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the agency arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, at Kaura District on Friday, January 16. She was arrested following intelligence reports about the online sale of illicit drugs. NDLEA operatives recovered 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil from her home. The agency said she produced the cannabis oil in her kitchen and advertised it for sale online.
Another suspect, 30-year-old Tordue Pius Richard, was arrested on Tuesday, January 13, at his residence on Biskira Street, Abacha Estate, Abuja. He was found with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos State, NDLEA officers seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from two suspects, Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan, at Fadeyi area of Mushin on Friday, January 16. On the same day, another 116 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a warehouse located in the New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested two young men, Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, on Thursday, January 15. The suspects were transporting large quantities of drugs, including 410,800 pills of tramadol, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam, 900 tablets of swinol, and 65 pills of Molly.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested several suspects during raids in Ibadan. On Thursday, January 15, Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, was arrested at Moniya with 321 litres of skuchies and 2.5 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. On the same day, Rasheed Ajao, 28, was arrested at Odo-Ona area with different types of cannabis weighing about 9.7 kilograms in total. In another raid at Agbeni area, officers recovered 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam from a store belonging to a suspect who is currently on the run.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, January 13, raided a residence at Gamo area of Ilorin, where they seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4 kilograms.
In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, were arrested on Saturday, January 17, at Nassarawa GRA in Ringim Local Government Area. The suspects were found with quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills. The NDLEA said Ammani attempted to escape during the operation and injured one of its officers.
Reacting to the series of arrests, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Oyo, the FCT, Enugu, and Kwara states. He urged them to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Marwa described the arrest of Lekan Jimoh as a triumph of justice and 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,” he said.
He added that the arrest closes a painful chapter that began in 2014 and honours the memory of the officers who lost their lives. According to him, the NDLEA remains committed to ensuring that attacks on its personnel do not go unpunished, no matter how long it takes.
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