NDLEA Arrests Drug Kingpin 12 Years After Officers’ Killing

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Jimoh, alias Kanmo-Kanmo, twelve years after he allegedly masterminded the killing of three NDLEA officers in Ogun State.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said Jimoh was apprehended last Friday at his hideout in Owode, Ogun State, following a coordinated intelligence-led operation by NDLEA tactical teams. Operatives recovered 69 kilogrammes of cannabis, popularly known as skunk, at the point of arrest.

Babafemi explained that the suspect had been on the NDLEA’s most-wanted list since June 15, 2014, when he reportedly led an armed mob that attacked officers attempting to arrest him, resulting in the death of three personnel, including Rabiu Kazaure. Jimoh escaped at the time, triggering a prolonged manhunt.

He added that in August 2023, NDLEA operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, but he fled before their arrival. However, 1,922 kilogrammes of cannabis stored in 139 sacks were seized from the property, which was later forfeited to the Federal Government by a court.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA recorded major seizures and arrests across several states. In Edo State, operatives arrested 53-year-old Isihor Edika in Arokpa Forest, Uzebba, seizing 320 kilogrammes of cannabis and seeds. In Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for selling drugs online, with officers recovering 2.2 kilogrammes of skunk and litres of cannabis oil from her residence in Kaura District. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, was arrested with cocaine and cannabis at Abacha Estate.

In Lagos, 118.1 kilogrammes of skunk were seized from two suspects in Mushin, while 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup were intercepted at Apapa Port in a joint operation with Customs and other security agencies. In Enugu State, 116 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from a warehouse, while along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, two suspects were arrested with over 410,800 tramadol pills, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 diazepam tablets, 900 swinol tablets and 65 Molly pills.

In Oyo State, multiple arrests in Ibadan led to the seizure of over 330 litres of skuchies, 2.5 kilogrammes of Colorado cannabis and nearly 10 kilogrammes of assorted cannabis strains. More than 52,000 tramadol and bromazepam pills were also recovered from a store whose owner remains at large. In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives seized 387.4 kilogrammes of cannabis from a residence in Ilorin, while in Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, and his accomplice Ahmed Sani were arrested after Ammani attempted to escape by jumping across rooftops while armed with a machete, injuring an officer.

Babafemi said the agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, holding sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres and communities across Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina and Niger states.

Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), described Jimoh’s arrest as a major victory for justice and a tribute to the officers who lost their lives, stressing that it sends a clear message that drug barons cannot evade justice forever.