NDLEA Arrests, Repatriates Wanted Drug Kingpin After Two Years on the Run

NDLEA Arrests, Repatriates Wanted Drug Kingpin After Two Years on the Run

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a suspected drug kingpin, Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, who had been on the run for more than two years.

Ibewuike, 52, was arrested at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following actionable intelligence and collaboration between the NDLEA and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

He was subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives who travelled to Cotonou on Friday, September 4, before being brought back to Nigeria to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking syndicate.

The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the agency, Ibewuike was among three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia following the seizure of 49.70 kilogrammes of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in February 2024.

The NDLEA described the seizure as the largest single heroin consignment ever intercepted at the Lagos airport.

The drugs were discovered concealed inside cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal during a 12-day operation conducted by operatives of the NDLEA MMIA Strategic Command.

The operation resulted in the arrest of several alleged members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who the agency alleged routinely received drug-laden parcels bearing the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.

The NDLEA also said it froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the drug cartel.

The agency said Ibewuike subsequently relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel business as a cover while travelling between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an effort to evade arrest.

Following his repatriation to Nigeria, the suspect reportedly confirmed his identity during preliminary interviews and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.

The NDLEA said his arrest and return to Nigeria marked a significant development in its ongoing efforts to dismantle the international drug trafficking network allegedly connected to the 2024 heroin seizure.

NDLEA Arrests, Repatriates Wanted Drug Kingpin After Two Years on the Run