NDLEA nabs wanted drug kingpin after 13 years in hiding over cocaine, heroin shipments

After 13 years in hiding, an alleged notorious drug kingpin Reginald Peter Chidiebere has been taken into custody following the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

In a statement released on Sunday, March 1, the spokesperson of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the drug lord was first arrested in 2013 over the shipment of cocaine into Nigeria and was subsequently arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court Lagos in charge no. FHC/L/187c/2923. Babafemi mentioned that the suspect however jumped bail and went into hiding after the trial judge granted him bail in 2013 and has since remained at large.

‘’In February 2024, his name featured prominently as one of the masterminds of the shipment of 49.70 kilograms heroin imported from South Africa following the interception of the consignment by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Lagos airport.

A follow-up operation was carried out on 19th February 2024 at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, located at No. 16/18 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos where an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin was recovered from one of his guests, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod. As a result, Chidiebere went underground. The agency however secured the interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him since 2024.

Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on 13th February 2026 and has since been taken into custody to face his pending charges for which he jumped bail in 2013 and fresh charges based on the 2024 heroin consignments linked to him.’ the statement read

In a related development, 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.