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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” bringing an end to a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, January 18, 2026, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the notorious drug trafficker was tracked to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, on Friday, January 16, following credible intelligence. Tactical teams of the NDLEA carried out the operation.
Babafemi disclosed that Jimoh, who is known for drug trafficking, evading arrest, and mobilizing armed thugs against law enforcement officers, was arrested with 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, in his possession. A video showing the suspect climbing onto a rooftop and attempting to take his own life during the operation later circulated on social media.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Jimoh’s criminal activities have been marked by extreme violence. He was accused of orchestrating a mob attack on June 15, 2014, against NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave. The attack resulted in the murder of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, who were killed by armed thugs allegedly mobilized by Jimoh. While he escaped at the time, the agency continued its pursuit to ensure justice for the slain officers.
Babafemi further recalled that during another raid on August 12, 2023, when NDLEA operatives stormed Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo town, Ogun State, the suspect again escaped arrest. However, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing a total of 1,922 kilograms. Following forfeiture proceedings instituted by the agency, the property used as a warehouse for his drug operations was later forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Edo State, on Tuesday, January 13, raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, where another drug suspect, Usihor Edika, aged 53, was arrested. The operation led to the seizure of 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday, January 16, arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, following intelligence reports on the online sale of illicit drugs. A search of her residence in the Kaura District led to the recovery of 2.2 kilograms of skunk and several litres of cannabis oil, which she allegedly produced in her kitchen and sold through online advertisements.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug networks across the country and bringing all offenders to justice.
