How NDLEA Finally Captured Drug Kingpin Who Killed Three Officers After 12 Years on the Run
Afnews Editor
Jan 18, 2026
A 12-year manhunt ends as NDLEA finally arrests a notorious drug kingpin linked to the killing of three officers. How it happened will shock you. Click to read full story.
https://youtu.be/kkvKexGlo-M
READ ALSO: Minister, NCWS, Others Back Renaming Women Centre After Maryam Babangida
By All Facts Newspaper
READ ALSO: How Suspects Used Fake Alert to Acquire 75m Mercedes Benz GLE In Kano
After 12 years of evasion, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has finally arrested Lekan Jimoh, alias Kanmo-Kanmo, a notorious drug kingpin who allegedly masterminded the killing of three NDLEA officers during a failed arrest operation in 2014.
READ ALSO: NBA election flawed, but we can't nullify it - BoT
Jimoh was captured on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode, Ogun State, following weeks of intelligence-led surveillance and tactical tracking by NDLEA special operations teams.
READ ALSO: INEC Sued Over 'Missing' 55.9bn 2019 Election Funds
His arrest brings to a close one of the most painful chapters in the agency's history - a case that symbolised both sacrifice and resilience in Nigeria's fight against drug cartels.
READ ALSO: I can finish off Boko Haram without govt support - Sunday Igboho
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Jimoh had been on the agency's most-wanted list since June 15, 2014, when he mobilised armed thugs to violently attack NDLEA operatives who attempted to arrest him at his drug enclave.
READ ALSO: Popular Islamic Cleric Found Dead In Zamfara
Three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, were brutally killed in the ambush, while Jimoh vanished into hiding, building layers of protection around his criminal network for more than a decade.
READ ALSO: 2 Billion Scandal: Inside Gavice Logistics, EFCC's Probe, and the Future of Its CEO
On Friday, that shield collapsed.
READ ALSO: IPOB Release Names of ESN Impersonators In States, Refutes Military Claim | SEE LIST
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA tactical units stormed his hideout in Owode, where they recovered 69 kilogrammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, confirming he was still deeply active in the drug trade.
READ ALSO: Abia(VALENTINE): Frontline politician urges Abians to show love to all
Babafemi revealed that NDLEA operatives had earlier raided Jimoh's residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, in August 2023, where they discovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922kg, stored in a warehouse linked to the fugitive.
READ ALSO: How NDLEA Uncovered a Massive Lekki Drug Lab and Arrested Its Saudi-Bound Owner | SEE PHOTOS
Although Jimoh escaped at the time, the property was later forfeited to the Federal Government, marking a major blow to his network and tightening the noose around him.
"This arrest is a breakthrough,ÔÇØ Babafemi said. "No fugitive is beyond the reach of the law - no matter how long it takes.ÔÇØ
READ ALSO: PLWDs Hails Abia Speaker Over Passage Of Disabled Persons Bill | WATCH VIDEO
Jimoh's arrest came as part of a nationwide crackdown that saw massive seizures and arrests across several states:
READ ALSO: Minister, NCWS, Others Back Renaming Women Centre After Maryam Babangida
Edo State: 320kg of skunk seized in Arokpa forest, Uzebba, with the arrest of 53-year-old Isihor Edika.
READ ALSO: How Suspects Used Fake Alert to Acquire 75m Mercedes Benz GLE In Kano
Abuja: A 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for allegedly running an online drug trade; NDLEA recovered cannabis oil produced in her kitchen.
READ ALSO: NBA election flawed, but we can't nullify it - BoT
Lagos: 234kg of skunk seized in Mushin and Fadeyi areas.
READ ALSO: INEC Sued Over 'Missing' 55.9bn 2019 Election Funds
Enugu: 116kg of skunk recovered from a warehouse at New Market.
READ ALSO: I can finish off Boko Haram without govt support - Sunday Igboho
Delta State: Two suspects intercepted with over 410,800 tramadol pills and other controlled substances along Onitsha-Asaba Expressway.
READ ALSO: Popular Islamic Cleric Found Dead In Zamfara
Oyo State: More than 52,000 tramadol and bromazepam pills recovered in Ibadan.
READ ALSO: 2 Billion Scandal: Inside Gavice Logistics, EFCC's Probe, and the Future of Its CEO
Kwara State: 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4kg seized in Ilorin.
READ ALSO: IPOB Release Names of ESN Impersonators In States, Refutes Military Claim | SEE LIST
Jigawa State: Two suspects arrested with skunk and exol-5 pills; one injured an NDLEA officer while attempting to escape.
READ ALSO: Abia(VALENTINE): Frontline politician urges Abians to show love to all
The NDLEA says the arrest of Kanmo-Kanmo is proof that justice may delay, but it never forgets. For families of the fallen officers, the capture offers long-awaited closure - and for drug cartels, a clear warning: there is no safe hiding place in Nigeria anymore.
Related Stories
How Suspects Used Fake Alert to Acquire 75m Mercedes Benz GLE In Kano
INEC Sued Over 'Missing' 55.9bn 2019 Election Funds
How NDLEA Uncovered a Massive Lekki Drug Lab and Arrested Its Saudi-Bound Owner | SEE PHOTOS
2 Billion Scandal: Inside Gavice Logistics, EFCC's Probe, and the Future of Its CEO
Popular Islamic Cleric Found Dead In Zamfara
Man Breaks Into FCMB Abuja Branch, Locks Himself in Ceiling-Bank Staff Shocked by System Hack Attempt | WATCH VIDEO
""
— Afnews Editor