The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested Lekan Jimoh, a wanted drug trafficker known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” more than a decade after the killing of three of its officers.
Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the NDLEA, said in a statement on Sunday that Jimoh was arrested on Friday after officers tracked him to a hideout in Owode, Ogun state, based on credible intelligence.
The agency disclosed that 69 kilogrammes of skunk and another strain of cannabis were recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
According to the NDLEA, Jimoh had evaded capture since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed assailants who attacked operatives attempting to arrest him, resulting in the death of Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two other officers.
The agency said the suspect fled during the 2014 incident and remained at large despite repeated efforts to bring him to justice.
NDLEA said a raid on Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun state, on August 12, 2023, led to the recovery of 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilogrammes, although the suspect escaped.
The agency added that the Ado-Odo property, which served as a storage facility for illicit drugs, was subsequently forfeited to the federal government after court proceedings.
“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 NDLEA said.
In Edo state, the agency said Isihor Edika, 53, was arrested during an operation at Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West LGA, where 320 kilogrammes of skunk and seeds were seized.
NDLEA disclosed that in Abuja, Yinka Agboola, 44, was arrested in the Kaura district for allegedly trading illicit drugs online, with 2.2 kilogrammes of skunk and cannabis oil recovered from her residence.
The agency also said Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was apprehended in Abuja after cocaine and skunk were found in his home at Abacha Estate.
According to NDLEA, 118.1 kilogrammes of skunk were seized from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan in Mushin, Lagos, while 116 kilogrammes of the substance were recovered from a warehouse in the New Market area of Enugu state.
In Delta state, the agency said Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, were arrested along the Onitsha–Asaba expressway with quantities of tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, swinol and Molly.
NDLEA added that Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, and Rasheed Ajao, 28, were arrested in Ibadan, Oyo state, with skuchies, Colorado, Scottish Loud and skunk.
The agency said 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam were recovered from a store in the Agbeni area of Ibadan, while the suspect, Orji Edwin, remains at large.
In Kwara state, NDLEA said operatives seized 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.4 kilogrammes from a residential building in Ilorin.
The agency further disclosed that a joint examination with Customs and other security agencies at Apapa port in Lagos uncovered 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup concealed inside a container.
In Jigawa state, NDLEA said ex-convict Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and Ahmed Sani, 32, were arrested with skunk and exol-5 pills after allegedly attempting to evade arrest.
The agency said its officers also carried out War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres and communities nationwide over the past week.
Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of NDLEA, praised officers across commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa described Jimoh’s arrest as “a triumph of justice and a testament to the agency’s long memory”.
“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you,” he said.
“The arrest of Lekan Jimoh is particularly significant because it closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014.
“For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers — Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others — on his hands.
“This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice.”