Wanted drug trafficking kingpin nabbed by NDLEA after 13 years in hiding
NDLEA Arrests Notorious Drug Kingpin After 13 Years on the Run
LAGOS, Nigeria — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the arrest of Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a notorious drug kingpin who had evaded capture for 13 years. Chidiebere was apprehended following the interception of significant consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday. Chidiebere had previously been arrested in 2013 for a cocaine shipment into Nigeria and subsequently charged in the Federal High Court in Lagos. He was released on bail but fled during the trial and had been at large since.
In February 2024, his name emerged as a key figure in a consignment of 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa. This followed another operational seizure at MMIA. On February 19, 2024, a follow-up operation at his hotel, Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Lagos, yielded an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin. Since then, efforts had been made to freeze his assets, including the hotel and several bank accounts traced to him.
Faced with mounting pressure and the inability to remain hidden, Chidiebere surrendered to NDLEA operatives on February 13, 2026. He is now in custody facing both his previous charges and new allegations related to the 2024 heroin shipments.
In additional operations, NDLEA agents dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Imo State, recovering 18.4 kilograms of the drug along with precursor chemicals. In a separate incident at the Seme border, officers detained a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, who attempted to smuggle 5,000 pills of tramadol.
NDLEA operatives also reported the seizure of substantial quantities of skunk, a strain of cannabis, in multiple operations across Lagos, Kano, Katsina, and Osun States. In particular, officials recovered 637,600 opioid pills and 499.2 kilograms of skunk in various locations throughout the week.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the efforts of his teams across the country for their continued commitment to combating drug trafficking and ensuring public safety. Marwa highlighted the persistence of the agency’s officers in bringing Chidiebere to justice, reaffirming NDLEA’s dedication to dismantling criminal drug networks.
