…NDLEA Chairman described Jimoh’s arrest as a triumph of justice and a reminder that fugitives cannot escape the law indefinitely.
OGUN, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-fugitive drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” 12 years after his alleged role in the killing of three NDLEA officers.
Jimoh was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode, Ogun State, following intelligence-driven operations by NDLEA tactical teams. A search of his hideout led to the seizure of 69 kilograms of skunk, a cannabis variant.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said the suspect had been on the agency’s wanted list since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him.
According to Babafemi, Jimoh was tracked to his hideout through credible intelligence, adding that his arrest represents a major breakthrough in the agency’s resolve to ensure fugitives are eventually brought to justice, no matter how long they evade arrest.
Babafemi recalled that during the 2014 incident, Jimoh allegedly orchestrated a mob attack on NDLEA operatives, resulting in the killing of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. While he escaped at the time, the agency continued its pursuit.
He also noted that in August 2023, NDLEA operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, recovering 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms. Jimoh again evaded arrest, but the property, used as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government.
Babafemi further disclosed that NDLEA operatives carried out several other arrests and seizures across the country. In Edo State, a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, was arrested in Arokpa forest, Uzebba town, with 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested in the Kaura District over the alleged online sale of illicit drugs. Items recovered from her residence included 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was also arrested with cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from two suspects in Fadeyi, Mushin, while 116 kilograms of the drug were recovered from a warehouse in Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects were arrested while transporting large quantities of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly. Similar raids in Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa states led to further arrests and seizures of illicit drugs.
Commending the officers involved, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), described Jimoh’s arrest as a triumph of justice and a reminder that fugitives cannot escape the law indefinitely.
He said the arrest closes a painful chapter that began with the killing of three NDLEA officers in 2014, stressing that the agency would continue to intensify nationwide operations to dismantle drug networks and bring offenders to justice.
