ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug trafficking suspect popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” 12 years after he was allegedly involved in the killing of three NDLEA officers.
The arrest, which marks the end of a prolonged manhunt, was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode town, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations carried out by the agency’s tactical teams.
Babafemi said a search of the suspect’s hideout led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, believed to be part of an illicit drug distribution network.
He disclosed that the suspect, identified as Lekan Jimoh and widely known by the alias “Kanmo-Kanmo,” had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list since June 15, 2014.
On that date, the agency said Jimoh allegedly mobilised armed thugs who launched a violent attack on NDLEA officers attempting to arrest him at his enclave.
“Following his involvement in the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers, Kanmo-Kanmo, who is notorious for drug trafficking, evading arrest, and mobilising armed thugs against security agents, was tracked to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State,” the statement said.
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Babafemi described the operation as “clinical and intelligence-driven,” noting that the arrest underscored the agency’s resolve to ensure that fugitives are eventually brought to justice, no matter how long it takes.
He said the 2014 attack resulted in the murder of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, who were killed during what the agency described as a barbaric mob action orchestrated by the suspect.
Although Jimoh escaped at the time of the incident, Babafemi said the agency remained committed to securing justice for the fallen officers.
The NDLEA spokesman further recalled that in a related operation on August 12, 2023, operatives raided the suspect’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms were recovered.
The suspect again evaded arrest during that raid, but the property, which was being used as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.
In a separate operation, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Edo State, on Tuesday, January 13, stormed Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika.
He said 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds were recovered from the forest hideout during the operation.
Babafemi also disclosed that NDLEA operatives in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, arrested a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, in the Kaura District over the alleged online sale of illicit drugs.
According to him, items recovered from her residence included 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil.
He said the arrests were part of the agency’s intensified nationwide operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and ensuring public safety.