NDLEA Finally Nabs Drug Kingpin After 13 Years On The Run

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, bringing to an end a 13-year manhunt following his disappearance after being granted bail in 2013. According to Ireporter Online, the suspect was apprehended after fresh intelligence linked him to major consignments of cocaine and heroin trafficking into the country.

Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 over alleged involvement in the importation of cocaine and was arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos. However, he reportedly absconded shortly after being released on bail, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to track him down.

His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the alleged masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa. The consignment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja. A subsequent operation on February 19, 2024, at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in the Okota area of Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest identified as Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod.

Following the operation, the agency secured an interim forfeiture order on the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to the suspect. With his assets restricted and movements limited, Chidiebere eventually surrendered to authorities on February 13, 2026. He is currently in custody and is expected to face both the pending 2013 charges and fresh counts relating to the 2024 heroin seizures.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Imo State dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area on February 25, 2026. The operation led to the recovery of 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.

A statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy detailed several coordinated operations across the country. At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, with 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage. In another operation, 1,040 kilograms of skunk were recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village along the Ibeju-Lekki axis.

In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a vehicle, while in Katsina State, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was apprehended with 87.4 kilograms of skunk along the Zaria–Dutsinma road. Two suspects were also arrested in Osun State following the seizure of 18.085 kilograms of skunk in Osogbo.

Further seizures were recorded in Taraba State, where operatives intercepted a vehicle conveying 637,600 opioid pills along the Bali-Suntai road, and in Lankaviri Yorro, where another suspect was arrested with 126.022 kilograms of skunk. In the Federal Capital Territory, 499.2 kilograms of skunk were recovered in Dei-Dei, Abuja, while in Borno State, a 24-year-old suspect was caught with 7,000 tramadol capsules along the Bama-Konduga road.

The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse campaign with sensitisation lectures conducted in schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River and Kano states. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across multiple commands for their resilience and professionalism, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and ensure offenders are brought to justice.

The recent operations underscore the NDLEA’s renewed offensive against narcotics syndicates nationwide, reinforcing its commitment to combining supply reduction efforts with sustained demand reduction strategies.