NDLEA arrests wanted drug kingpin after 13 years in hiding 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, after 13 years in hiding, following the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him.

The NDLEA in a statement, said that Chidiebere was arrested after operatives uncovered drug shipments connected to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

“After 13 years in hiding, a notorious drug kingpin Reginald Peter Chidiebere has been taken into custody following the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.” the agency stated.

The NDLEA said the suspect was first arrested in 2013 over the shipment of cocaine into Nigeria and was later arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. He was granted bail but jumped bail shortly after and went into hiding, remaining at large for years.

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

A follow-up operation was carried out on February 19, 2024, at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites located at No. 16/18 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos. During the operation, 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 stated.

The agency later secured the interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him since 2024.

The NDLEA explained that the suspect later surrendered himself after he could no longer survive on the run.

“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,” the agency said.

Meanwhile, a clandestine drug laboratory in Imo State was dismantled by the NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area, where 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered along with large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used for drug production.

At the Seme Border in Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on Friday, February 27, after she concealed 5,000 pills of tramadol in her luggage. In another 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 of Lagos on Wednesday, February 25.

In Kano State, a suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested at Lambu, Tafa LGA, with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup while conveying the consignment in a Volkswagen Golf car marked CA 911 ABC.

Another suspect, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was arrested on Friday, February 27, while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number KUJ 544 RL along the Zaria–Dutsinma road in Katsina State.

The NDLEA also said that no fewer than 637,600 pills of opioids including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered on Thursday, February 26, when operatives intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle marked KWL-607DC along Bali–Suntai road while conveying the drugs to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA, Taraba State. A similar operation at Lankaviri Yorro led to the arrest of Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022 kilograms of skunk.

In Abuja, 499.2 kilograms of skunk were recovered at Dei-Dei area of Abuja on Wednesday, February 25, while a suspect, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted in a commercial vehicle conveying 7,000 capsules of tramadol along Bama–Konduga road in Borno State on Tuesday, February 24.

While commending officers across commands, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), praised their efforts for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA arrests wanted drug kingpin after 13 years in hiding