Title: NDLEA Nabs Notorious Drug Kingpin After 13 Years on the Run Date Published: 01 March 2026 Description: Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, ending a 13-year manhunt linked to major cocaine and heroin trafficking networks operating through Nigeria’s busiest airport.The agency said Chidiebere was apprehended following investigations connected to large consignments of illicit drugs intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.According to the NDLEA, Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 over the importation of cocaine into Nigeria and was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos. He, however, jumped bail after it was granted and subsequently went underground, evading law enforcement for more than a decade.In February 2024, NDLEA investigations again traced him to a 49.70kg shipment of heroin imported from South Africa, which was intercepted at the Lagos airport’s import shed. A follow-up operation at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in the Okota area of Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 2.20kg of heroin from one of his guests, further tightening the noose around the fugitive drug lord.Following these developments, the agency secured an interim forfeiture of his hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him. Unable to sustain life in hiding, Chidiebere eventually surrendered himself to the NDLEA on February 13, 2026. He is now in custody and is expected to face both his outstanding charges from 2013 and fresh counts arising from the 2024 heroin seizures.Meanwhile, the NDLEA recorded multiple arrests and seizures across the country in the past week. In Imo State, operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Njaba Local Government Area, recovering 18.4kg of the illicit substance along with precursor chemicals and equipment.At the Seme border in Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman with 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage, while over one tonne of skunk cannabis was recovered from an uncompleted building in the Ibeju-Lekki area. Similar interdictions were recorded in Kano, Katsina, Osun, Taraba, Borno states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, leading to the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of large quantities of opioids and cannabis.The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River and Kano states.Commending the nationwide operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised officers for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.Reacting to Chidiebere’s arrest after years on the run, Marwa said the agency remains resolute in dismantling criminal networks and ensuring that all offenders are brought to justice. Attached Images: b76794da4091b7aebac689a149aa0d1b6281186901f8dd749eda5d56328bc1bb.jpg Attached Video: None