The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as Kanmo-kanmo, bringing to an end a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect was tracked and arrested on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode, Ogun State, following actionable intelligence.
Babafemi stated that 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, were recovered during the operation.
Babafemi explained that Kanmo-kanmo had remained a high-value target since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to resist arrest, leading to the murder of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure.
He noted that although the suspect escaped at the time, the Agency never relented in its pursuit.
He added that the suspect resurfaced in August 2023 when NDLEA operatives raided his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, recovering 1,922 kilograms of skunk stored in 139 sacks.
Babafemi said Kanmo-kanmo again evaded arrest, but the property used as a drug warehouse was later forfeited to the Federal Government after court proceedings.
Beyond the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives recorded multiple seizures and arrests across several states.
In Edo State, he stated that a raid on Arokpa forest in Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, led to the arrest of 53-year-old Isihor Edika and the seizure of 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Babafemi said operatives arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, for selling illicit drugs online, recovering skunk and cannabis oil produced in her kitchen. He added that another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, was arrested in Abuja with cocaine and cannabis.
Babafemi further disclosed that large consignments of skunk, tramadol, codeine syrup and other controlled substances were intercepted in Lagos, Enugu, Delta, Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa states, including the arrest of an ex-convict who violently resisted arrest in Jigawa.
Commending officers involved in the nationwide operations, Babafemi said the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a triumph of justice and a reminder that fugitives may run, but the law will eventually catch up with them.
