The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has finally arrested notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, after 13 years in hiding, following fresh seizures of cocaine and heroin linked to his network.
Chidiebere, who jumped bail in 2013 after his initial arrest for cocaine trafficking, surrendered himself to NDLEA operatives on February 13, 2026, after sustained intelligence operations crippled his drug empire and cut off his financial lifelines.
How He Evaded Arrest for 13 Years
The fugitive drug lord was first arrested in 2013 and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos. However, after being granted bail, he absconded and remained underground for over a decade.
His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the masterminds behind a 49.7kg heroin shipment from South Africa, intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
A follow-up raid at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.2kg of heroin, forcing him into deeper hiding until his eventual surrender.
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.
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.
A suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup at Lambu, Tafa 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.
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 Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022kg skunk.
While 499.2kg skunk was recovered at Dei -Dei area of the FCT, Abuja on Wednesday 25th February, a suspect, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted in a commercial vehicle conveying 7,000 capsules of tramadol along Bama -Konduga road, Borno state on Tuesday 24th February.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities equally continued across Commands and formations of the Agency all over the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Tungan Magajiya, Niger state; Federal Government College, Odo Oru, Ogbomoso, Oyo state; Government Day Senior Secondary School, Fagam, Jigawa state; Government Science College, Esuk Ekpoeyo, Cross River; and Government Junior Secondary School, Rumfa College, Kano state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun and FCT Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Reacting to 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.
