In a significant blow to the illicit drug trade, authorities in Lagos, Nigeria have apprehended Sulaiman Jimoh, the alleged mastermind behind a major drug cartel operating in the city.
Known by the street moniker 'Temo', the 57-year-old had evaded capture for years, building a reputation as an untouchable figure.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the arrest, describing Jimoh as the "godfather" of a criminal enterprise that had flooded the streets with narcotics.
“After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, popularly known as Temo, has been arrested by operatives of the NDLEA", A spokesperson for the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, NDLEA, Director of Media and Advocacy announced this Wednesday in a statement.
The agency revealed that after years of surveillance and multiple failed attempts, they finally managed to corner the elusive kingpin in a dramatic raid on his Mushin stronghold.
The statement also said that the cartel had been responsible for smuggling 14, 524.8 kilograms of cannabis, known locally as 'Ghana Loud', into the country. Seizures of the drug, totalling billions of naira in street value, had been made in recent months.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, the drugs were intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Jan., 28.
He added that two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg were also intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on May 4, 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on July 26, 2023.
The operation to apprehend Jimoh involved a large team of officers who engaged in a tense standoff with the suspect and his associates. Despite fierce resistance, the NDLEA managed to neutralise the threat and take the drug lord into custody.
The arrest is being hailed as a major victory in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in Nigeria. It is hoped that it will serve as a deterrent to other criminals operating in the country.
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