Drug kingpin ‘Kanmo-Kanmo’ arrested 12 years after killing three NDLEA officers
Photo of Fateema B. Bello Fateema B. Bello Send an emailJanuary 18, 20260 4 minutes read
Agency recovers illicit drugs from his hideout, nabs ex-convict, female online vendor, others in Jigawa, Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu, Kwara raids
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have successfully apprehended a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-kanmo”, ending a 12-year manhunt following his involvement in the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers.
Kanmo-Kanmo, who is notorious for drug trafficking, evading arrest and mobilizing armed thugs against security agents was on Friday 16th January 2026 tracked to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State by tactical teams of the Agency following credible intelligence.
During the clinical operation, the suspect was found in possession of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
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.
Lekan Jimoh’s criminal history is marked by extreme violence and lawlessness. As a result, he had on 15th June 2014 orchestrated a barbaric mob action against a team of NDLEA officers who had attempted to arrest him at his enclave.
The attack resulted in the cold-blooded murder of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others, who were killed by armed thugs mobilized by Jimoh.
While the suspect managed to escape the scene that day, the Agency remained resolute in its pursuit of justice for the fallen heroes.
In another encounter with Jimoh on 12th August 2023, when NDLEA operatives stormed his residence in Ado-Odo town, Ogun state, he managed to escape while operatives succeeded in recovering 139 sacks of skunk with a total weight of 1,922 kilograms.
Following assets forfeiture proceedings instituted in court by the Agency, the house in Ado-Odo, which served as a warehouse for his illicit drug trade, has since been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Edo state on Tuesday 13th January raided the Arokpa forest, Uzebba town, Owan West LGA, leading to the arrest of another drug lord, Isihor Edika, 53, and seizure of 320kg skunk and seeds.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives on Friday 16th January tracked and arrested a 44-year-old lady Yinka Agboola following intelligence on her online sale of illicit substances.
At the time of her arrest, 2.2kg skunk and litres of cannabis oil which she produces in her kitchen and sells through online advertisement were recovered from her home at the Kaura district, Abuja.
Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was on Tuesday 13th January arrested with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk at his 12 Biskira street, Abacha Estate, Abuja home.
While 118.1kg skunk was seized from the duo of Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi area of Mushin Lagos on Friday 16th January, not less than 116kg of same substance was recovered from a warehouse at new market area of Enugu, Enugu state same day.
Two suspects: Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, were on Thursday 15th January arrested by NDLEA operatives along Onitsha -Asaba expressway, Delta state, while conveying 410,800 pills of tramadol; 84.2 litres of codeine syrup; 82,250 tablets of diazepam; 900 tabs of swinol and 65 pills of Molly.
In Oyo state, Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, was nabbed on Thursday 15th January at Moniya, Ibadan, with 321 litres of skuchies, and 2.5kg Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, while Rasheed Ajao, 28, was caught same day at Odo-Ona, Ibadan, in possession of 5.4kg Scottish Loud; 1.696kg skunk and 2.5kg Colorado, bringing the total weight to 9.696 kilograms.
In another raid at Agbeni area of the state capital, 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam were recovered from the store of Orji Edwin, currently at large, on Saturday 17th January.
In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 13th January raided a residential building at Gamo area of Ilorin where they seized 42 bags of skunk that weighed 387.40kg, while a total of 157,519 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a container at the Apapa port in Lagos during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies on Friday 16th January.
An ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, was arrested with various quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills along his accomplice Ahmed Sani, 32, at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim LGA Jigawa state on Saturday 17th January.
Before Gaddafi’s arrest, he attempted to escape by climbing the roofs of many houses in his bid to escape. He was armed with a machete which he used to threaten NDLEA operatives and even inflicted injury on one of the officers.
Across all Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Umar Bin Khathab Islamiyyah School, Kurna, Kano; Tumbey College, Kajola Maya, Ikorodu, Lagos; Anglican Secondary School, Makurdi, Benue; members of Katsina emirate, Katsina; and residents of Maitumbi community, Minna, Niger state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Enugu, and Kwara Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) acknowledged their commitment and enjoined them as well as their colleagues nationwide to maintain the current tempo of their balanced approach to the Agency’s drug control efforts.
He described the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a triumph of justice and a testament to the Agency’s long memory, adding that 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.”
“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.
He mistakenly thought that time had erased his crimes. Today, we have proven that the NDLEA does not forget its own. We do not forget the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives in the service of our fatherland. This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice”, Marwa said in a tribute to the officers lost over a decade ago.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 18th January 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The commission said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence and surveillance on the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
Oyewale said the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, he said operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
The statement read, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
“The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the commission on the activities of the illegal sludge oil refiners.
“The refinery was found deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, following the commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area. However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.”
Oyewale said during the raid, underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil were also discovered.
“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing,” Oyewale added.
He said the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
“Personnel at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility.
“Consequently, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage,” he added.
An amateur boxer identified simply as Kehinde and popularly known as KBlaq has been stabbed to death during a street fight at Olodo Garage in Ibadan, Oyo State.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Monday that the incident occurred on Sunday, sparking outrage among social media users, who called for justice for the deceased.
According to accounts circulating online, the deceased was not initially involved in the fight, while the suspect allegedly appeared after the confrontation had ended and stabbed him in the neck with a broken bottle.
Kehinde, who was described by acquaintances as a boxer, reportedly succumbed to his injuries.
Several social media users expressed shock over the killing, with some claiming that the suspect was not among those involved in the initial fight.
An X user, @MVKAY2, wrote, “The person who stabbed him was not even involved in the fight, and they had stopped fighting already. Just one of those vile men wey the matter no concern came from nowhere and stabbed him.
“Before una start dropping different narratives, I wish he was with Z second. I wish he was never there.”
Another user, @omononaolapo, wrote, “Funny enough, this guy that stabbed him was not even among those that they were fighting.”
Similarly, @Tunde, who described the deceased as his brother, wrote, “Na my brother o. Ajeh. Olodo bike men can be very mean sometimes, and they were all there watching them fight.”
Another user, @Fela, added, “This was why I made this tweet earlier today. This boxer is my younger brother’s friend. I got to church yesterday and my brother told me someone killed his friend. I was shocked when he told me.”
Also, @Pelumifundz, who described Kehinde as the younger brother of a friend, wrote, “This guy is a twin and my friend’s junior brother. He’s so gentle and doesn’t cause trouble. I would really love to know what happened that made the bikeman stab him in the neck. Anyways, rest in peace, Kenny. I know you won’t go without having justice. We will definitely get it for you.”
Confirming the incident on Monday, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, told our correspondent during a telephone interview that an investigation was ongoing.
Suspected terrorists have abducted 14 students in a Niger State Islamic school.
The incident reportedly happened on Saturday in Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area.
The PUNCH learnt that the students were abducted while harvesting maize in their teacher’s farm when the terrorists invaded the farm.
The teacher was also reportedly kidnapped during the incident.
The spokesman of the Niger State police command, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying that the number of abducted students was 14 and not 50 as reported.
He also said a joint security mission was on a rescue mission, assuring that the abducted students would be rescued.
“On 31/10/2026 at about 12.30 pm, suspected bandits invaded Tungan-Bako village via Rafi LGA and abducted some persons working on the farm.
“The report further indicated that the abducted victims were about 14 students of an Islamiya helping their Mallam to harvest maize on the farm before the incident.
“However, joint security rescue efforts are ongoing; further developments will be communicated,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Jonathan Vatsa, speaking on the incident, condemned Governor Mohammed Bago over his handling of the security situation in the state.
He lamented that the governor was busy with electioneering and had failed to protect lives and property.
“The security agencies in the state lack operational vehicles and other necessary equipment to confront the situation.
“The government is only there to issue statements either condemning every attack or condole with the people over the death of their loved ones without any cogent step to address the situation,” Vatsa said.
