The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken into custody Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh, also known as Temo, a high-profile drug lord who allegedly headed the notorious Mushin, Lagos drug cartel.
After a prolonged period of running and hiding, the 57-year-old suspect was finally arrested at his secret hideout, where he was found to be accompanied by armed associates who initially attempted to thwart the capture.
The arrest was announced in a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Temo had managed to avoid capture for years, despite being linked to several large drug consignments worth billions of naira.
Babafemi observed that confrontations with the suspect’s gang frequently escalated into intense shootouts, making the successful capture of the suspect a notably difficult achievement.
“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,” the statement read.
Some of Temo’s recent drug shipments intercepted by the NDLEA include 14,524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana.
These were seized in two trucks and a J5 bus at Ojuelegba, Lagos, in January 2024.
During these operations, Temo’s men often engaged NDLEA operatives in violent confrontations.
Despite his notoriety and constant movement to evade arrest, Temo was finally captured on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Igbarere Street, Mushin.
The statement added that the NDLEA’s surveillance teams had been tracking Temo, and a reinforcement of about 50 operatives was mobilised to the area when he attempted to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350.
His effort to mobilise hoodlums to distract the operatives failed, and he was eventually overpowered and arrested.
