NDLEA has nabbed wanted Drug Lord “Kanmo-kanmo” after 12 Years and ended his manhunt over killing of Officers.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a long-wanted drug lord, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” bringing an end to a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, Jimoh is a notorious drug trafficker who repeatedly evaded arrest and allegedly mobilised armed thugs against law enforcement officers. His arrest, NDLEA said, followed a carefully planned tactical operation described as a major breakthrough in the agency’s long-standing pursuit of the fugitive.
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NDLEA revealed that 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from Jimoh at the time of his arrest.
“During the operation, the suspect was found in possession of 69 kilograms of skunk. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no fugitive, regardless of how long they evade justice, remains beyond the reach of the law,” the statement said.
Commenting on the arrest, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described it as a triumph of justice and a testament to the agency’s persistence.
“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you. The arrest of Lekan Jimoh is particularly significant because it closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014,” Marwa said.
Jimoh’s criminal history includes a failed arrest operation during which he allegedly orchestrated a mob attack that led to the killing of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure. Although he escaped at the time, the agency said it remained resolute in pursuing justice for the slain officers.
In another raid on August 12, 2023, NDLEA operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo town, Ogun State. Jimoh again escaped, but officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms. The property used as a drug warehouse was later forfeited to the Federal Government following asset forfeiture proceedings.
Beyond Ogun State, NDLEA also reported coordinated arrests and seizures across several states. In Edo State, operatives raided the Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, over the alleged online sale of illicit drugs. Officers recovered 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil from her residence in the Kaura district. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested with cocaine and skunk at his home in Abacha Estate.
In Lagos, NDLEA seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from two suspects in the Fadeyi area of Mushin, while an additional 116 kilograms were recovered from a warehouse in Enugu State.
Further arrests were recorded along the Onitsha–Asaba expressway in Delta State, where two suspects were intercepted while conveying large quantities of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly. In Oyo State, multiple suspects were arrested in Ibadan with various cannabis variants and synthetic drugs, while a separate raid led to the recovery of tens of thousands of tramadol and bromazepam pills from a store whose owner remains at large.
In Kwara State, NDLEA recovered 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.40 kilograms, while at the Apapa port in Lagos, 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup were seized during a joint examination with Customs and other security agencies.
The agency said the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo is part of sustained efforts to dismantle major drug cartels across Nigeria, noting that several high-profile drug kingpins have been apprehended in recent years as part of its intensified crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.
