Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” 12 years after he allegedly masterminded the killing of three NDLEA officers during an arrest operation.
Jimoh was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following credible intelligence and a coordinated operation by tactical teams of the agency. A search of the premises led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
The suspect had been on the run since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave, leading to the death of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. He escaped at the time but remained a top target of the agency.
NDLEA recalled that on August 12, 2023, operatives stormed Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where they recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms, although he again evaded arrest. The property, used as a warehouse for illicit drugs, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
In other operations nationwide, NDLEA operatives in Edo State raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arrested a drug suspect, Isihor Edika, 53, and seized 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for allegedly producing and selling cannabis oil online. Operatives recovered 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil from her residence in Kaura District. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was also arrested in Abuja with cocaine and skunk.
In Lagos, 118.1 kilograms of skunk were seized from two suspects at the Fadeyi area of Mushin, while 116 kilograms of the same substance were recovered from a warehouse at the New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State.
Along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects were arrested with 410,800 pills of tramadol, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam and other illicit drugs. In Oyo State, several suspects were arrested in Ibadan with large quantities of skuchies, skunk and synthetic cannabis, while thousands of tramadol and bromazepam pills were recovered from a store.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives raided a residence in Ilorin, seizing 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4 kilograms. At the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies uncovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.
An ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, was also arrested in Jigawa State alongside an accomplice with quantities of skunk and pills after attempting to evade arrest and attacking operatives with a machete.
Commenting on the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved and described the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a victory for justice. He said the arrest demonstrated that fugitives would eventually be brought to justice, regardless of how long they evade the law.
Marwa added that the agency would continue to sustain its nationwide enforcement operations alongside its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes across schools, communities and institutions.
