The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken into custody a notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, after 13 years on the run, following multiple major drug seizures linked to him.
According to Statement obtained by The News Chronicle on Sunday, Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 over a cocaine shipment into Nigeria and was arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. However, he jumped bail shortly after being granted release and disappeared.
In February 2024, his name resurfaced as one of the masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa. The consignment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
A follow up operation on February 19, 2024, at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites located in Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod. The agency subsequently secured interim forfeiture of the hotel and froze bank accounts traced to him.
Unable to sustain life in hiding, Chidiebere surrendered to the agency on February 13, 2026. He is now in custody and will face his pending 2013 charges as well as fresh charges related to the 2024 heroin consignments.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Imo State dismantled a clandestine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area, recovering 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.
At the Seme border in Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, who concealed 5,000 pills of tramadol in her luggage. In a separate operation in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos, operatives recovered 1,040 kilograms of skunk from an uncompleted building.
In Kano State, a suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup, while another suspect in Katsina State was caught transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk.
In Osun State, two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 18.085 kilograms of skunk in Osogbo. In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives recovered 637,600 opioid pills from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and seized 126.022 kilograms of skunk in a separate operation.
Additional seizures include 499.2 kilograms of skunk in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and 7,000 capsules of tramadol intercepted in Borno State.
The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign with sensitization lectures across schools in Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River, and Kano states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers across commands for their professionalism and persistence. Reacting to Chidiebere’s arrest, he reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and bringing offenders to justice.
