Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a prominent drug kingpin, has been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following 13 years of hiding.
Chidiebere was reportedly arrested after new connections to substantial shipments of heroin and cocaine.
Chidiebere was brought before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. Chidiebere was initially detained in 2013 for the transportation of cocaine into Nigeria.
However, he went underground and skipped bail soon after being freed.
His name reappeared in February 2024 as a key figure in the smuggling of 49.70 kg of heroin from South Africa. At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, NDLEA agents seized the shipment.
On February 19, 2024, a follow-up operation at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in the Okota neighborhood of Lagos resulted in the recovery of an additional 2.20 kg of heroin from Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod, one of his visitors.
After the operation, the agency frozen his bank accounts and obtained an interim forfeiture order against the hotel.
On February 13, 2026, Chidiebere finally turned himself in to the agency after having his assets banned and his freedom of movement restricted. He is currently being held in order to face new counts pertaining to the 2024 heroin seizures in addition to his outstanding 2013 accusations.
On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, NDLEA agents in Imo State broke up a covert methamphetamine lab at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area.
Along with the precursor chemicals and equipment required to produce the illegal material, 18.4 kilos of methamphetamine were found.
The NDLEA described many operations throughout the nation in a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
Hadiza Musa, a Togolese woman, was stopped by police at the departure tarmac at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, with 5,000 tramadol pills hidden in her suitcase.
Additionally, 1,040 kg of skunk were found by the operators in an unfinished building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, which is located along Lagos’ Ibeju-Lekki axis.
Ashiru Bala, a 45-year-old suspect in Kano State, was taken into custody with 1,499 vials of codeine syrup hidden in a Volkswagen Golf. In a similar vein, 21-year-old Yahaya Usaini was caught in Katsina State with 87.4 kg of skunk on the Zaria–Dutsinma road.
Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were detained in Osogbo, Osun State, in relation to the confiscation of 18.085 kg of skunk.
Along the Bali-Suntai route in Taraba State, NDLEA agents stopped a Mercedes-Benz carrying 637,600 opioid pills, including exol-5, tramadol, and diazepam. Another operation in Lankaviri Yorro resulted in the recovery of 126.022 kg of skunk and the arrest of 27-year-old Musa Usman.
Along the Bama-Konduga route in Borno State, a 24-year-old suspect named Bulama Modu was found in possession of 7,000 tramadol capsules, while 499.2 kg of skunk were found in Dei-Dei, Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory.
Additionally, the organization stepped up its War Against Drug Abuse campaign by holding awareness-raising seminars in schools in the states of Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River, and Kano.
Officers of the MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun, and FCT Commands were complimented for the arrests and seizures by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA.
In response to Chidiebere’s apprehension following more than ten years of evasion, Marwa stated that the organization was unwavering in its efforts to break up criminal networks.
He stated, “I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation,” and he promised to keep up the agency’s efforts to bring drug traffickers to justice.
The most recent events highlight NDLEA’s increased campaign against drug trafficking organizations and its dedication to striking a balance between supply and demand reduction tactics across the country.
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
