January 18, (THEWILL) — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as Kanmo-Kanmo, bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt linked to the gruesome murder of three agency officers in Ogun State.
Jimoh, notorious for large-scale trafficking and mobilizing armed thugs against security operatives, was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the arrest followed credible intelligence and a tactical operation that led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk from the suspect.
The arrest marks a breakthrough for the agency, closing a chapter that began on June 15, 2014, when Jimoh allegedly orchestrated a mob attack against officers attempting to arrest him.
That attack resulted in the murder of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure.
In a separate encounter on August 12, 2023, Jimoh had escaped a raid on his Ado-Odo residence, though officers recovered 1,922 kilograms of skunk. That property has since been forfeited to the Federal Government.
Beyond this high-profile arrest, the agency recorded multiple seizures across the country last week. In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba on Tuesday, January 13, arresting drug lord Isihor Edika, 53, and seizing 320 kilograms of cannabis.
In Abuja, 44-year-old Yinka Agboola was arrested on Friday, January 16, for the online sale of illicit drugs, with 2.2 kilograms of skunk and liters of cannabis oil recovered from her Kaura District residence.
Other significant operations included the arrest of Zaharadeen Yahaya and Sanusi Maman in Delta State on Thursday, January 15, with 410,800 tramadol pills and 84.2 liters of codeine.
In Lagos and Enugu, over 230 kilograms of skunk were recovered from warehouses and suspects on Friday.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi was arrested in Ibadan with 321 liters of skuchies and 2.5 kilograms of Colorado, while a raid in the Gamo area of Ilorin, Kwara State, led to the seizure of 387.4 kilograms of cannabis.
Additionally, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, was subdued after a violent confrontation with operatives in Ringim, Jigawa State.
Commending the officers, agency chairman and chief executive officer Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo as a triumph of justice.
He stated that the long arm of the law will eventually find fugitives, noting that the arrest provides long-awaited justice for the families of the officers killed in 2014.
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