NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Kingpin After 13 Years in Hiding as Multi-State Drug Crackdown Yields Massive Seizures

Reginald Peter Chidiebere surrenders after years on the run over cocaine and heroin shipments

Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin who evaded authorities for more than a decade, following renewed investigations into major cocaine and heroin consignments.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed that Reginald Peter Chidiebere was taken into custody after years in hiding linked to drug trafficking operations traced to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

In a statement, the agency said:

“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 NDLEA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.”

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From bail to disappearance

NDLEA records show that Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 over alleged cocaine shipments into Nigeria. He was arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/187c/2923.

Although granted bail, he reportedly absconded shortly afterwards and remained at large for years.

His name resurfaced in February 2024 when NDLEA operatives intercepted 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa at the Lagos airport’s import shed. Authorities described him as one of the masterminds behind the consignment.

A follow-up operation on February 19, 2024, targeted his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites located at Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos. During the raid, officers recovered an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest identified as Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod.

The agency said the suspect subsequently went underground. It later secured interim forfeiture of the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him.

According to the NDLEA, Chidiebere eventually surrendered on 13 February 2026 after allegedly finding it impossible to sustain life while evading arrest. He is expected to face both the pending 2013 charges and fresh counts tied to the 2024 heroin seizures.

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Nationwide drug clampdown intensifies

The arrest comes amid a series of high-profile drug interceptions across the country.

In Imo State, NDLEA operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area, recovering 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers arrested a Togolese woman after discovering 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage.

Another operation in Akodo village along the Ibeju-Lekki corridor led to the seizure of 1,040 kilograms of skunk from an uncompleted building.

In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect was apprehended with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup, while in Katsina State, authorities intercepted 87.4 kilograms of skunk along the Zaria–Dutsinma road.

Further seizures were recorded in Taraba, Abuja and Borno states, including the interception of 637,600 opioid pills and nearly 500 kilograms of skunk in separate operations.

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NDLEA leadership praises officers

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for what he described as sustained efforts to balance drug supply reduction with demand reduction strategies.

The agency says investigations remain ongoing as it continues its crackdown on drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.