Wanted drug kingpin Lekan Jimoh, widely known as Kanmo-Kanmo, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), ending a 12-year manhunt linked to the murder of three of its officers in 2014.
The fugitive was tracked to Owode, Ogun State, on Friday, January 16, 2026, following intelligence-led surveillance.
Tactical operatives recovered 69 kilograms of skunk from his hideout.
The arrest brings closure to a case that began after Jimoh allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers attempting to arrest him in June 2014, resulting in the deaths of Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, the operation reflects the Agency’s resolve that no fugitive remains beyond the reach of the law.
NDLEA said Jimoh had repeatedly evaded arrest over the years. In August 2023, operatives raided his Ado-Odo residence in Ogun State, where 1,922 kilograms of skunk stored in 139 sacks were recovered, though the suspect escaped.
The property, later identified as a drug warehouse, has since been forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
Beyond the Kanmo-Kanmo arrest, NDLEA recorded multiple interdictions nationwide during the week. In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Owan West LGA, arresting Isihor Edika (53) and seizing 320kg of skunk and seeds.
In the FCT, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for producing and selling cannabis oil online, with skunk and cannabis extracts recovered from her Kaura District residence.
Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard (30), was arrested with cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, NDLEA seized over 118kg of skunk in Mushin, while a container at Apapa Port yielded 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup during a joint examination with Customs and other agencies. In Enugu, 116kg of skunk was recovered from a warehouse.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects were intercepted with large consignments of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly pills.
Further seizures were recorded in Oyo State, including skuchies, Colorado (synthetic cannabis), Scottish Loud and tramadol pills across Ibadan locations. In Kwara, operatives recovered 387.4kg of skunk from a residential building in Ilorin. In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani (26), was arrested with skunk and pills after a violent attempt to escape, during which an NDLEA officer sustained injuries.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
