Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
A 12-year manhunt for a wanted drug kingpin has ended with his dramatic capture by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Lekan Jimoh, infamously known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” was arrested on Friday, 16th January 2026, at his hideout in Owode, Ogun State.
The suspect, notorious for drug trafficking and mobilising armed thugs against security personnel, was apprehended in a clinical operation by tactical teams acting on credible intelligence. He was found in possession of 69 kilograms of skunk, a cannabis strain.
Jimoh’s arrest is linked to a brutal attack on 15th June 2014, where he orchestrated a mob assault on NDLEA officers attempting to arrest him. The incident led to the murder of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. Jimoh escaped that day but remained a top-priority fugitive.
“This is a triumph of justice and a testament to the Agency’s long memory,” said NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd). “It sends a clear message: you may run and hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you.”
In a previous encounter in August 2023, Jimoh evaded capture during a raid on his Ado-Odo residence, where 1,922 kilograms of skunk were seized. The property, used as a drug warehouse, has since been forfeited to the Federal Government.
Nationwide Sweep Nets Ex-Convict and Online Vendor
The arrest coincided with a series of successful raids across multiple states, resulting in significant drug seizures and other arrests:
· Edo: Raid on Arokpa forest, Uzebba, led to the arrest of drug lord Isihor Edika, 53, and seizure of 320kg of skunk and seeds.
· Federal Capital Territory (Abuja): Yinka Agboola, 44, was arrested for online sale of illicit substances. Officers recovered 2.2kg of skunk and cannabis oil produced in her kitchen. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was held with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk.
· Lagos: 118.1kg of skunk seized from two suspects in Mushin.
· Enugu: 116kg of skunk recovered from a warehouse in the New Market area.
· Delta: Two men arrested along the Onitsha-Asaba expressway with 410,800 tramadol pills, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, and other psychotropic substances.
· Oyo: Multiple arrests in Ibadan yielded quantities of ‘skuchies,’ ‘Colorado,’ and other drugs, alongside 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam recovered from a store.
· Kwara: 387.40kg of skunk seized in a raid in Ilorin.
· Lagos Apapa Port: A joint examination with Customs uncovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup in a container.
· Jigawa: An ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, was arrested after a violent struggle where he attempted to flee across rooftops and injured an NDLEA officer with a machete.
Chairman’s Tribute
Brig. Gen. Marwa paid tribute to the fallen officers, stating: “The arrest of Lekan Jimoh closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014. For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers on his hands. Today, we have proven that the NDLEA does not forget its own. This arrest is for the families who have waited 12 years for justice.”
He commended the officers involved in the nationwide operations and urged all commands to maintain the tempo of the Agency’s balanced drug control and War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy efforts.
