NDLEA nets wanted drug kingpin after 13 years in hiding over cocaine, heroin shipments

Dismantles clandestine laboratory in Imo village, recovers 18.4kg methamphetamine, precursor chemicals, production equipment; intercepts Togolese woman with opioids

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 drug lord was first 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. He however jumped bail and went into hiding after the trial judge granted him bail in 2013 and has since remained at large.

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.

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.

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.

Meanwhile, 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 large quantity of precursor chemicals  and equipment used in the production of the illicit substance.

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.

A suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup at Lambu, Tafa LGA, Kano state 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.

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 skunk.

While 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.

The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities equally continued across Commands and formations of the Agency all over the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Tungan Magajiya, Niger state; Federal Government College, Odo Oru, Ogbomoso, Oyo state; Government Day Senior Secondary School, Fagam, Jigawa state; Government Science College, Esuk Ekpoeyo, Cross River; and Government Junior Secondary School, Rumfa College, Kano state, among others.

While commending 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 week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) 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.