The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Wednesday that its operatives have successfully apprehended Sulaiman Jimoh, also known as Temo, the notorious leader of the Mushin, Lagos-based drug cartel. 

Temo, who had been on the agency’s wanted list for several years, was captured following a high-stakes operation.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, stated that Temo was arrested at his hideout after an initial attempt to resist arrest along with his gang members. 

Babafemi emphasized that Temo had long evaded capture, wearing the guise of invincibility, but his reign came to an end thanks to the diligent efforts of the NDLEA operatives.

“After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, 57-year-old Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh (alias Olowoidiogede, popularly known as Temo), has been arrested by operatives of the NDLEA, at his enclave after an initial resistance from him and his horde of hoodlums,” Babafemi said in a statement.

Temo’s arrest follows the recent capture of drug baron Joachin Mbonu, who was nabbed in his mansion in Imo State on July 12 after fleeing from South Africa. This series of high-profile arrests marks significant progress in the NDLEA’s crackdown on major drug trafficking networks in Nigeria.

Babafemi recounted the challenges faced by the NDLEA in their pursuit of Temo. Over the past two years, the agency intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs valued at billions of naira linked to Temo. However, despite these seizures, Temo remained elusive, with several encounters resulting in fierce gun battles between his armed gangs and NDLEA operatives.

The breakthrough came when the NDLEA’s surveillance team tracked Temo to Igbarere Street in Mushin. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the team called for reinforcement, bringing in 50 additional operatives to ensure Temo’s capture. 

This decisive action led to Temo being pinned down and arrested on July 22, ending his long-standing evasion.