The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the surrender of a long-wanted drug kingpin and dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory, in what officials described as a significant breakthrough in the fight against organised narcotics trafficking.
The agency confirmed that Reginald Chidiebere, who had been on the run since 2013 after absconding while on bail over cocaine trafficking charges, surrendered to operatives on February 13, 2026, bringing to an end a 13-year manhunt.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos. After securing bail, he disappeared, frustrating prosecution efforts despite intelligence reports linking him to subsequent large-scale heroin trafficking operations.
Babafemi disclosed that the fugitive’s name resurfaced prominently in February 2024, when NDLEA operatives intercepted 49.7 kilogrammes of heroin imported from South Africa at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. A follow-up operation at his hotel property in Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.2 kilogrammes of heroin from a guest.
Authorities subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him, intensifying operational pressure. Under mounting financial and legal constraints, Chidiebere eventually surrendered. He is expected to face both the original charges from 2013 and fresh counts related to the 2024 heroin consignments.
The development formed part of a broader series of coordinated enforcement operations across multiple states.
In Imo State, NDLEA operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory concealed in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, within Njaba Local Government Area. The raid resulted in the recovery of 18.4 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, along with precursor chemicals and production equipment, underscoring concerns over expanding domestic synthetic drug manufacturing.
At the Seme border in Badagry, a Togolese national was apprehended with 5,000 tramadol tablets concealed in luggage. In the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos, officers seized 1,040 kilogrammes of skunk from an unfinished building.
Further intelligence-led operations in Taraba State uncovered 637,600 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam, concealed in a vehicle bound for Gashaka Local Government Area. Additional cannabis seizures were recorded in Katsina, Osun, Kano, Borno and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers across commands for their persistence and professionalism. He reiterated the agency’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice, regardless of the duration of their evasion.
Beyond enforcement actions, the agency said it continues to implement its War Against Drug Abuse advocacy campaign in secondary schools nationwide, aimed at complementing supply reduction efforts with sustained demand reduction initiatives.
