Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Imo State and taken into custody a notorious drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been on the run for 13 years.
Chidiebere surrendered to the agency on February 13, 2026, after years in hiding. He was first arrested in 2013 over cocaine trafficking and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. He jumped bail the same year and remained at large.
His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. A follow-up operation at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a guest, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod. The agency subsequently secured an interim forfeiture of the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him.
Unable to sustain life in hiding, Chidiebere turned himself in and is now in custody to face pending charges from 2013 and fresh charges related to the 2024 heroin seizures.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Imo State on February 25 dismantled a methamphetamine production laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area. Officers recovered 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, large quantities of precursor chemicals, and equipment used in the manufacture of the illicit drug.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA officers on February 27 intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, who concealed 5,000 tramadol pills in her luggage at the departure tarmac. In a related operation, 1,040 kilograms of skunk were recovered from an uncompleted building in Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos.
In Kano State, a suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested on February 25 with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a Volkswagen Golf car. Similarly, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was nabbed in Katsina State on February 27 while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk along the Zaria–Dutsinma road.
In Osun State, two suspects — Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25 — were arrested in Osogbo in connection with the seizure of 18.085 kilograms of skunk.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle conveying 637,600 opioid pills, including tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, along the Bali–Suntai road en route to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA. A separate operation at Lankaviri Yorro led to the arrest of Musa Usman, 27, and the seizure of 126.022 kilograms of skunk.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, officers recovered 499.2 kilograms of skunk at Dei-Dei, while in Borno State, a suspect, Bulama Modu, 24, was intercepted with 7,000 tramadol capsules along the Bama–Konduga road.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign nationwide, delivering sensitisation lectures in schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River, and Kano states.
Commending officers across various commands for the week’s successes, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their dedication to balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction efforts. He reiterated the agency’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
“I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation,” he said.
The statement was issued by Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA.