Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a notorious and long-wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, after 13 years in hiding. His arrest followed major seizures of cocaine and heroin linked to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, “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 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.
“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 related development, NDLEA operatives in Imo State on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, uncovered a clandestine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area, where 18.4 kilogrammes of methamphetamine were seized alongside precursor chemicals and production equipment.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on Friday, 27 February, after discovering 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage. On the same day, operatives recovered 1,040 kilogrammes of skunk from an uncompleted building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki axis.
In Kano State, a suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested at Lambu, Tafa LGA, with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup in a Volkswagen Golf marked CA 911 ABC. Another suspect, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was apprehended along the Zaria-Dutsinma road in Katsina State with 87.4 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in a Toyota Hiace bus.
In Osun State, Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 18.085 kilogrammes of skunk in the Aregbe area of Osogbo.
Meanwhile, 637,600 opioid pills, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, were recovered from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle along the Bali–Suntai road en route to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA, Taraba State. A separate operation at Lankaviri Yorro in the state led to the arrest of Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022 kilogrammes of skunk.
In the FCT, Abuja, 499.2 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered at the Dei-Dei area, while Bulama Modu, 24, was arrested in Borno State with 7,000 tramadol capsules along the Bama–Konduga road.
The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign nationwide, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River and Kano states.
Commending officers across the MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun and FCT commands, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised their efforts in both supply and demand reduction strategies.
Reacting to Chidiebere’s arrest after 13 years in hiding, Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
“I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation”, he added.