Wanted Drug Kingpin Surrenders To NDLEA After 13 Years In Hiding
A notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who has been on the wanted list of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for 13 years, has surrendered to operatives of the Agency in Lagos.
According to a statement by the Agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, series of precision actions by NDLEA operatives against assets and businesses of the drug kingpin forced him to surrender.
He said that the latest of such actions was the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to Chidiebere at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) 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,” Babafemi said.
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.
Also, 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.
Operatives also arrested one Ashiru Bala, 45, with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup at Lambu, Tofa 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,” he added.
Similarly, 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 one Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022kg skunk.
In Dei -Dei area of Abuja, 499.2kg skunk was recovered on Wednesday 25th February, 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 24th February.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has praised the officers and men involved in the various operations and ensuring a fair balance between drug supply and drug demand reduction efforts.
On 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.
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