The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, after a 13-year manhunt following his arrest at the Murtala International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, over links to a cocaine and heroin consignment.

In a Sunday statement signed by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Chidiebere was previously arrested in 2013 over the shipment of cocaine into Nigeria and was subsequently arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge no. FHC/L/187c/2923.
According to the statement, he jumped bail and went into hiding after the trial judge granted him bail in 2013 and has since remained at large.

The statement reads, “In February 2024, his name featured prominently as one of the masterminds of the shipment of 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa following the interception of the consignment by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Lagos airport.

“A follow-up operation was carried out on 19th February 2024 at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, located at No. 16/18 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin was recovered from one of his guests, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod.

“As a result, Chidiebere went underground. The agency, however, secured the interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him since 2024.”

The statement added, “Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on 13th February 2026 and has since been taken into custody to face his pending charges for which he jumped bail in 2013 and fresh charges based on the 2024 heroin consignments linked to him.”

In a similar operation, NDLEA operatives in Imo state on Wednesday, 25th February 2026, dismantled a clandestine laboratory tucked in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba local government area of the state, where 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered along with a large quantity of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of the illicit substance.

In another operation at the Seme border in Badagry area of Lagos, “NDLEA officers at the departure tarmac on Friday, 27th February, intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, who concealed 5,000 pills of tramadol in her luggage, while a total of 1,040 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos by operatives on Wednesday, 25th February.”

In a similar operation in Kano, “a suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup at Lambu, Tafa LGA, on Wednesday, 25th February, while conveying the consignment in his Volkswagen Golf car marked CA 911 ABC. Another suspect, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was nabbed on Friday, 27th February, while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number KUJ 544 RL along Zaria- Dutsinma road, Katsina state.”

In Osun, “two suspects: Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday, 23rd February, in connection with the seizure of 18.085kg skunk at Aregbe area of Osogbo, the state capital.”

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In another sustained operation in Taraba, “no fewer than 637,600 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, were recovered when NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Thursday, 26th February, intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle marked KWL-607DC along Bali – Suntai road while conveying the consignment to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA, Taraba state. A similar interdiction operation at Lankaviri Yorro area of the state led to the arrest of Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022kg of skunk.”

While a 499.2kg skunk was recovered at Dei -Dei area of the FCT, Abuja, on Wednesday, 25th February, a suspect, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted in a commercial vehicle conveying 7,000 capsules of tramadol along Bama -Konduga road, Borno state, on Tuesday, 24th February.

Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun and FCT Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past weeks.

Marwa equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Reacting to the eventual arrest of Chidiebere after 13 years on the run, Marwa said the agency remains resolute in dismantling criminal networks and bringing all offenders to justice.

“I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation”, he added.