The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had evaded arrest for 13 years, following the interception of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him.

In a statement, the agency said Chidiebere was tracked through drug shipments uncovered by operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The suspect, who had been on the run since jumping bail in 2013, eventually surrendered to authorities after years in hiding.

According to the NDLEA, Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 for trafficking cocaine into Nigeria and was subsequently arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos. He was granted bail but absconded shortly afterward and remained at large.

The agency revealed that his name resurfaced in February 2024 as a key figure behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, which was intercepted at the Lagos airport’s import shed. A follow-up raid on February 19, 2024, at his hotel, Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod.

Following these operations, the suspect reportedly went underground. The NDLEA secured an interim forfeiture order on his hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him. The agency noted that sustained pressure eventually forced Chidiebere to surrender on February 13, 2026. He is now in custody to face both the pending charges from 2013 and new charges tied to the 2024 heroin shipments.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory on February 25, 2026, in Imo State, recovering 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.

At the Seme border in Badagry, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on February 27 after she concealed 5,000 tramadol pills in her luggage. In another Lagos operation, 1,040 kilograms of skunk were recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village along the Ibeju-Lekki axis.

In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup while transporting the consignment in a Volkswagen Golf car. Similarly, in Katsina State, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was apprehended with 87.4 kilograms of skunk along the Zaria–Dutsinma road.

Operatives also seized 637,600 opioid pills—including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5—on February 26 along the Bali–Suntai road in Taraba State, while Musa Usman, 27, was arrested at Lankaviri Yorro with 126.022 kilograms of skunk.

In the Federal Capital Territory, 499.2 kilograms of skunk were recovered in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja on February 25. Additionally, in Borno State, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted in a commercial vehicle with 7,000 tramadol capsules along the Bama–Konduga road on February 24.

Commending officers across various commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised their efforts, noting that the agency continues to strike a balance between reducing drug supply and curbing drug demand nationwide.