By Deborah Nnamdi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken into custody a notorious drug lord, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who surrendered after evading justice for 13 years following his escape from bail in 2013.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the NDLEA, Chidiebere’s surrender followed a series of major drug seizures linked to him, including large consignments of cocaine and heroin intercepted by operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency said Chidiebere masterminded multiple heroin shipments, notably a 49.70-kilogram consignment imported from South Africa and intercepted in February 2024.
Following investigations, the NDLEA secured the interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him. The pressure from sustained operations reportedly left him unable to sustain himself while in hiding, prompting his surrender.
He is now in custody to face pending charges from 2013 as well as fresh charges connected to the 2024 heroin shipments.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their persistence and professionalism, reiterating the agency’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.
Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 over a cocaine shipment into Nigeria but jumped bail and went underground.
In February 2024, his name resurfaced in connection with the 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa and intercepted at the Lagos airport.
A follow-up operation on February 19, 2024, at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, located at No. 16/18 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from one of his guests, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod. Shortly after the raid, Chidiebere disappeared, intensifying efforts to apprehend him.
The NDLEA also reported coordinated arrests and seizures across several states as part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown.
In Imo State, operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area on February 25, recovering 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine along with precursor chemicals and production equipment.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, on February 27 with 5,000 pills of tramadol concealed in her luggage.
In Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, operatives recovered 1,040 kilograms of skunk from an unfinished building at Akodo village on February 25.
In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested on February 25 with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup while transporting the consignment in a Volkswagen Golf. Another suspect, Yahaya Usaini, 21, was intercepted on February 27 with 87.4 kilograms of skunk along the Zaria-Dutsinma road.
In Osun State, two suspects were arrested on February 23 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 February 25, while in Borno State, a 24-year-old suspect was intercepted with 7,000 capsules of tramadol along the Bama-Konduga road on February 24.
The NDLEA has, in recent years, intensified its offensive against high-profile drug lords and cartel leaders across the country.
Among those previously arrested was Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh, popularly known as Temo, a multi-billion-naira drug cartel kingpin apprehended in Lagos after evading capture for about two years.
A wanted drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, who had been on the agency’s most-wanted list for seven years, was also arrested at his hideout in Isheri, Lagos, during a weeklong operation that led to the seizure of over 101,150 kilograms of illicit drugs across 13 states.
Early last year, Lagos socialite Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye was arrested following the interception of imported cannabis and raids on her Okota residence.
In September 2025, the agency dismantled an international drug cartel, arresting three leaders in Lagos after intercepting a large cocaine consignment concealed in export cargo, further underscoring its commitment to combating drug trafficking nationwide.
