The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, alias Kanmo-Kanmo, 12 years after he allegedly masterminded the killing of three of its officers during a botched arrest operation.
Jimoh was picked up on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations by NDLEA tactical teams. A search of his hideout led to the recovery of 69 kilogrammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, said Jimoh had been on the agency’s wanted list since June 15, 2014, when he mobilised armed thugs to attack officers attempting to arrest him at his enclave.
According to him, the assault resulted in the brutal killing of three NDLEA personnel, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, while Jimoh escaped and went underground for over a decade.
Babafemi said: “Following his involvement in the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers, Kanmo-Kanmo, notorious for drug trafficking and mobilising armed thugs against security agents, was on Friday, January 16, tracked to his hideout in Owode, Ogun State, after credible intelligence. During the operation, 69kg of skunk was recovered from him.
“The arrest is a major breakthrough in our resolve to ensure that no fugitive, no matter how long they evade justice, remains beyond the reach of the law.”
He added that Jimoh’s criminal network had earlier been uncovered in August 2023, when operatives raided his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, recovering 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922kg. The suspect escaped then, but the property, used as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, NDLEA also recorded major seizures in several states across the country.
In Edo State, operatives raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested in Kaura District over alleged online sales of illicit drugs. Items recovered from her home included 2.2kg of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil produced in her kitchen. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was also arrested with cocaine and skunk in the FCT.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers seized 118.1kg of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi, Mushin, while another 116kg was recovered from a warehouse at New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects, Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, were intercepted with 410,800 tramadol pills, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam and other controlled drugs.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, and Rasheed Ajao, 28, in Ibadan with large volumes of skuchies and synthetic cannabis, while another raid at Agbeni led to the recovery of over 52,000 tramadol and bromazepam pills.
In Kwara, officers seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4kg at a residence in the Gamo area of Ilorin.
In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, were arrested at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim, with quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills. Babafemi said Ammani attempted to escape during the operation and injured an officer.
