The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken into custody Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a notorious drug lord, who surrendered after evading justice for 13 years following his 2013 bail escape.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Femi Babafemi.
The surrender follows the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to Chidiebere by operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
What the agency said
According to NDLEA, Chidiebere masterminded multiple heroin shipments, including a 49.70-kilogram consignment imported from South Africa, intercepted in February 2024.
- The agency secured interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him. Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender.
- He has been taken into custody to face pending charges from 2013 and fresh charges connected to the 2024 heroin shipments.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), 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.
Background to the story
Chidiebere’s criminal record includes his initial arrest in 2013 over cocaine shipment into Nigeria, after which he jumped bail and went underground.
- In February 2024, his name was linked to the shipment of 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa, which was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at Lagos airport.
- A follow-up operation 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
Following the raid, Chidiebere disappeared.
Nationwide arrests
NDLEA reported a series of coordinated arrests and seizures across several states.
- In Imo State, operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba LGA on Wednesday, 25th February, recovering 18.4 kilograms of meth along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.
- At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on Friday, 27th February, who was concealing 5,000 pills of tramadol in her luggage.
- In Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, NDLEA recovered 1,040 kilograms of skunk from an unfinished building at Akodo village on Wednesday, 25th February.
- In Kano State, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested on 25th February with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup while transporting the consignment in a Volkswagen Golf (CA 911 ABC). Another suspect, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was intercepted on 27th February transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Hiace (KUJ 544 RL) along Zaria-Dutsinma road.
- In Osun State, two suspects, Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were arrested on Monday, 23rd February, in connection with 18.085 kilograms of skunk recovered at Aregbe, Osogbo.
- In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 499.2 kilograms of skunk were recovered at Dei-Dei on Wednesday, 25th February.
In Borno State, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted while transporting 7,000 capsules of tramadol along the Bama-Konduga road on Tuesday, 24th February.
What you should know
The agency has, in recent years, sustained crackdowns on high-profile drug lords and cartel leaders across Nigeria.
- NDLEA arrested a multi-billion naira drug cartel kingpin named Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh, known as Temo, in Lagos after he had evaded capture for around two years.
- A wanted drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, who had been on the most-wanted list for seven years, was also arrested. His arrest took place at his hideout in Isheri, Lagos, during a weeklong operation that also saw the agency seize over 101,150 kilograms of illicit drugs across 13 states.
- Early last year, the agency arrested Lagos socialite Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, identified as a major drug cartel figure, following the interception of imported cannabis and raids on her Okota residence.
In September 2025, the agency also dismantled an international drug cartel, arresting three leaders in Lagos after intercepting a large cocaine consignment concealed in export cargo.
