Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested long-wanted drug kingpin Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” ending a 12-year manhunt linked to the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers in 2014.

Jimoh was apprehended on Friday, 16 January 2026, after NDLEA tactical operatives tracked him to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following credible intelligence. A search of the premises led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis. His arrest marks a major breakthrough for the agency in its resolve to bring fugitives to justice, regardless of how long they evade arrest.

The suspect has a long history of violent resistance against law enforcement. On 15 June 2014, Jimoh allegedly orchestrated a mob attack on NDLEA operatives attempting to arrest him, resulting in the killing of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. Although he escaped at the time, the agency maintained sustained efforts to track him down.

In a related operation on 12 August 2023, NDLEA operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms were recovered, though he again escaped. The property, which served as a warehouse for his drug operations, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.

Meanwhile, NDLEA recorded multiple arrests and seizures nationwide. In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa Forest in Uzebba, Owan West LGA, arresting a suspected drug lord, Isihor Edika, 53, and seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds. In Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for allegedly selling illicit drugs online, with skunk and cannabis oil recovered from her residence in the Kaura District. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested with cocaine and skunk in the FCT.

In Lagos and Enugu States, NDLEA operatives seized over 230 kilograms of skunk in separate operations, while in Delta State, two suspects were intercepted with large consignments of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly pills along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway.

Further arrests were recorded in Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa States, including the arrest of an ex-convict in Jigawa who attempted to escape arrest violently, injuring an NDLEA officer. At the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint operation uncovered over 157,000 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.

Across the country, NDLEA also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, communities and religious centres to curb drug demand.

Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described Jimoh’s arrest as a “triumph of justice,” stressing that the agency does not forget its fallen officers.

“The arrest of Lekan Jimoh closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014. For twelve years, he lived with the blood of our gallant officers on his hands. This arrest is for the families who waited years for justice,” Marwa said, warning drug barons that no fugitive is beyond the reach of the law.