The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as Kanmo-Kanmo, ending a 12-year manhunt linked to the killing of three NDLEA officers in 2014.

The agency said Mr Jimoh was tracked to a hideout in Owode, Ogun State, and arrested on Friday, 16 January 2026, following what it described as “credible intelligence”.

Officers recovered 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from the location, according to the NDLEA.

The arrest closes one of the agency’s most high-profile cases and revives painful memories of an attack that claimed the lives of three officers during an attempted arrest more than a decade ago.

A case that shaped NDLEA operations

The NDLEA says Mr Jimoh led a drug trafficking network known for violent resistance to law enforcement.

On 15 June 2014, the agency said he mobilised armed thugs who attacked NDLEA operatives attempting to arrest him at his base.

Three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure, were killed in the incident, while Mr Jimoh escaped.

The agency said it never closed the case, despite several failed attempts to arrest him over the years.

Previous escape and forfeited assets

NDLEA operatives said they narrowly missed Mr Jimoh again in August 2023 when they raided his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State.

Although he escaped, officers recovered 139 sacks of skunk weighing about 1,922 kilograms.

The house, which the NDLEA said was used as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.

Nationwide raids and arrests

The arrest of Mr Jimoh came amid a series of coordinated NDLEA operations across several states.

In Edo State, officers raided a forest in Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old man, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.

In Abuja, a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, was arrested for allegedly selling drugs online, with officers recovering cannabis, cannabis oil, and other substances from her home in Kaura District.

Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was arrested in the capital with quantities of cocaine and cannabis.

Seizures across Lagos, Enugu, Delta, Oyo, Kwara and Jigawa

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized more than 118kg of skunk in Mushin, while another 116kg was recovered from a warehouse in Enugu on the same day.

In Delta State, two suspects were arrested along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway with hundreds of thousands of pills, including tramadol, diazepam, and codeine syrup.

In Oyo State, several arrests led to the seizure of large quantities of cannabis-based substances and pharmaceutical opioids.

In Kwara State, officers recovered nearly 400kg of skunk from a residential building in Ilorin.

At Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA said a joint examination with Customs uncovered more than 157,000 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a container.

In Jigawa State, an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, was arrested after attempting to escape across rooftops, while allegedly armed with a machete.

NDLEA: “The law may be slow, but it is certain”

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), described Mr Jimoh’s arrest as “a triumph of justice”.

“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you,” he said.

Mr Marwa said the arrest was especially significant for the families of the officers killed in 2014.

“For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers — Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others — on his hands,” he said.

“This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice.”

Beyond arrests: drug abuse prevention

Alongside enforcement, the NDLEA says it has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.

In the past week, officers held sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, and communities across Kano, Lagos, Benue, Katsina, and Niger states.

What’s next

NDLEA officials say Mr Jimoh will face prosecution, alongside other suspects arrested nationwide.

The agency says it will sustain both enforcement and prevention efforts, warning that no fugitive is beyond its reach.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, is set to witness the weddings of nine of his children on the same day in Abuja.

The development became public after a single wedding invitation card, listing all nine couples, began circulating widely on social media.

What we know so far

According to details on the invitation, the ceremonies will take place at the Central Mosque, Abuja, at 1:30pm on 6 February.

The minister’s children listed on the card include five sons and four daughters, all scheduled to wed on the same day.

Their spouses are also said to be from prominent families, as indicated on the invitation.

Preparations for the ceremonies are understood to be at an advanced stage, though no official statement has been issued by the minister or his office.

Why it matters

Mass weddings within politically prominent families are rare in Nigeria and often attract public interest because of their cultural, social, and security implications.

Such events also highlight the continued intersection of public office, private life, and public curiosity in Nigerian politics.

Public reaction

The invitation card has generated mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians expressing surprise at the scale of the ceremonies.

While some users congratulated the families involved, others questioned the logistics and security arrangements for hosting multiple high-profile weddings on the same day.

Official position

As of the time of reporting, there has been no confirmation or comment from the Ministry of Defence or from Bello Matawalle himself regarding the ceremonies.

What’s next

Attention is expected to remain on Abuja as the wedding date approaches, especially regarding security, traffic control, and official attendance.

Observers say further clarity may emerge if the minister’s office issues a formal statement ahead of the ceremonies.

Gunmen on Saturday stormed Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, abducting an expatriate worker and killing a police officer assigned to protect him.

The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the incident, saying the officer was fatally shot while resisting the attackers.

Police response

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the assault was carried out “in a commando-style operation.”

“There was an attack at Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, where unidentified gunmen stormed the facility in a commando-style operation,” he said.

“One police officer tragically died while repelling the attack, injuring some assailants, and the Chinese expatriate principal was abducted.”

According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has ordered the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Operations to lead anti-kidnapping and tactical teams to the area.

Search and investigation

Police say bush-combing operations are ongoing across nearby forests, while investigators work to track the attackers and rescue the abducted expatriate.

Authorities have not disclosed the victim’s identity or the exact number of assailants involved.

Why it matters

The attack underscores persistent security challenges facing businesses and expatriate workers in parts of Nigeria, with implications for investment confidence and community safety.

Security analysts say the killing of a police officer during the operation highlights the risks faced by security personnel and the need for better intelligence-led policing.

What’s next

Police say tactical teams will remain in the area until the victim is rescued and suspects are arrested. Updates are expected as operations continue.