NDLEA arrests ‘drug cartel kingpin’ in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives in Lagos have arrested Sulaiman Jimoh, the “head of Mushin drug cartel”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the 57-year-old had repeatedly evaded arrest.

Babafemi said the agency tracked and apprehended Jimoh, popularly known as Temo, and arrested him at Igbarere street, Mushin.

He said a reinforcement of about 50 operatives was immediately mobilised to the area as the suspect attempted to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350 marked 01G-300G.

“His attempt to escape by mobilizing hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives however failed after which he was overpowered and whisked away from the chaotic scene while his men surrendered to the superior firepower of the anti-narcotic agents who also succeeded in recovering the Mercedes Benz SUV the suspect was found in,” the statement reads.

“In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight.

“Some of the recent seizures of his shipments include: a 14,524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana in two trucks and a J5 bus intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024; two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on 4th May 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on Wednesday 26th July 2023.

“Indeed, in the last two encounters, his men engaged NDLEA operatives in gunfight.”

Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and men of the Lagos command, special monitoring task force and other formations for their resilience and professionalism.