NDLEA Arrests Fugitive Drug Kingpin After 13 Years, Dismantles Meth Lab in Imo, Seizes Illicit Drugs Nationwide
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been on the run for 13 years over major cocaine and heroin trafficking cases, as operatives intensified nationwide operations leading to multiple seizures and arrests across several states.
Chidiebere was taken into custody after surrendering to the agency on February 13, 2026, following years in hiding. His arrest is linked to large consignments of cocaine and heroin intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the agency, the suspect was first arrested in 2013 over a cocaine shipment and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. However, he jumped bail the same year and went underground.
His name resurfaced prominently in February 2024 as one of the masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, which was intercepted at the import shed of the Lagos airport. A follow-up operation on February 19, 2024, at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from one of his guests, identified as Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod.
Following that operation, the NDLEA secured an interim forfeiture order on the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him. With mounting pressure and tightened financial constraints, Chidiebere eventually surrendered and is now set to face his pending 2013 charges alongside fresh charges connected to the 2024 heroin consignments.
Meth Laboratory Dismantled in Imo
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Imo State dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory located in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area. The raid, conducted on February 25, 2026, resulted in the recovery of 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used for drug production.
Seizures and Arrests Across States
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on February 27 at the departure tarmac with 5,000 pills of tramadol concealed in her luggage.
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In another Lagos operation, 1,040 kilograms of skunk—a strain of cannabis—were recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki axis.
In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested at Lambu in Tafa Local Government Area with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in his Volkswagen Golf car. Similarly, in Katsina State, a 21-year-old suspect, Yahaya Usaini, was apprehended along the Zaria–Dutsinma road while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Hiace bus.
In Osun State, two suspects—Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25—were arrested in connection with the seizure of 18.085 kilograms of skunk at Aregbe area of Osogbo.
Taraba State recorded one of the largest interceptions during the period, as NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence recovered 637,600 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle along the Bali–Suntai road en route to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA. In a separate operation at Lankaviri Yorro, Musa Usman, 27, was arrested with 126.022 kilograms of skunk.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 499.2 kilograms of skunk were recovered at the Dei-Dei area, while in Borno State, a 24-year-old suspect, Bulama Modu, was intercepted along the Bama–Konduga road with 7,000 capsules of tramadol concealed in a commercial vehicle.
WADA Advocacy Intensifies
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued nationwide, with sensitisation lectures held in schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River and Kano states, among others.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun and FCT commands for their recent successes.
Reacting to the arrest of Chidiebere, Marwa said the agency remains resolute in dismantling drug trafficking networks and bringing offenders to justice.
“I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation,” he said, noting that the agency would continue to balance drug supply reduction efforts with demand reduction strategies nationwide.
The latest operations underscore the NDLEA’s sustained crackdown on drug trafficking networks and its expanding enforcement footprint across the country.
By PRNigeria
