NDLEA Nabs Notorious Kingpin ‘Kanmo-Kanmo’ 12 Years After Killing Three Officers​

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a high-profile drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo,” ending a 12-year manhunt following the 2014 murder of three NDLEA officers.
​The arrest was the highlight of a nationwide crackdown that resulted in the recovery of massive quantities of illicit substances and the arrest of several suspects, including a female online vendor and a violent ex-convict, across Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Edo, and several other states.
​The Fall of ‘Kanmo-Kanmo’
​Jimoh, notorious for orchestrating armed resistance against security agencies, was tracked to his hideout in Owode, Ogun State, on Friday, January 16, 2026. During the operation, tactical teams recovered 69 kilograms of “skunk” (a potent cannabis strain).
​Jimoh’s criminal history is marked by a “barbaric” mob action on June 15, 2014, where he allegedly mobilized thugs to kill three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, during a failed arrest attempt. Although he escaped a subsequent raid in 2023—leaving behind 1,922kg of cannabis—the Agency eventually secured the forfeiture of his Ado-Odo residence to the Federal Government.
​Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/CEO of the NDLEA, described the arrest as a triumph of justice.
​”The arrest sends a clear and unambiguous message to all drug barons and fugitives: You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you. This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice,” Marwa stated.
​Nationwide Raids and Online Vending
​The Agency’s latest operations spanned multiple states, targeting diverse distribution methods:
​FCT, Abuja: Operatives arrested 44-year-old Yinka Agboola in the Kaura district for selling home-made cannabis oil and skunk via online platforms. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, was caught with cocaine and skunk in Abacha Estate.
​Edo State: A drug lord, Isihor Edika, was apprehended in the Arokpa forest with 320kg of skunk.
​Lagos & Enugu: Significant seizures occurred at the Apapa port, where 157,519 bottles of codeine were discovered in a container. Additionally, over 230kg of skunk was recovered in Mushin (Lagos) and Enugu’s New Market area.
​Delta State: Two suspects were intercepted along the Onitsha-Asaba expressway conveying over 500,000 pills of various controlled substances, including Tramadol, Diazepam, and Molly.
​Jigawa State: An ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, was arrested after a dramatic pursuit across rooftops. Ammani, armed with a machete, injured an officer before being subdued.
War Against Drug Abuse (WADA)
​Alongside enforcement, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign. Educational lectures were held at schools and community centers in Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina, and Niger states to deter drug use at the grassroots level.
​Brig. Gen. Marwa commended the various state commands for their “balanced approach” to drug control, urging them to maintain the momentum in ridding the country of illicit substances.