The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a drug kingpin who had evaded authorities for 13 years. The arrest followed investigations linking him to multiple cocaine and heroin shipments.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 for cocaine trafficking and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos (case FHC/L/187c/2923). He subsequently jumped bail and went into hiding.
“His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilogrammes of heroin from South Africa,” Babafemi said.
He added that a follow-up operation on 19 February 2024 at Chidiebere’s Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Lagos led to the recovery of 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest, prompting Chidiebere to go underground. The agency also secured an interim forfeiture of the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him.
“Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on 13th February 2026,” Babafemi noted.
Chidiebere is now in custody facing pending charges from 2013 and fresh charges relating to the 2024 heroin consignments.
NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa praised the officers for their dedication. “I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation,” he said.
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In related operations across Nigeria, NDLEA has made significant seizures, including:
• Imo State (25 Feb): A clandestine methamphetamine lab in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba LGA, yielding 18.4 kilograms of meth alongside precursor chemicals and equipment.
• Lagos (27 Feb): A Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, intercepted at Seme border with 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage.
• Lagos (Akodo village, Seaside Eleko): 1,040 kilograms of skunk recovered from an uncompleted building.
• Other seizures: 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup in Kano, 87.4 kilograms of skunk in Katsina, and 18.085 kilograms of skunk in Osun.
These operations underscore NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and safeguarding public health.