The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a suspected drug kingpin, Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, who had been on the run for more than two years following the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, saying Ibewuike was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026, following actionable intelligence.
Babafemi said Ibewuike was subsequently handed over to a team of NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on September 4, following collaboration between the Agency and the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus in Nigeria and Benin Republic.
He stated that the suspect was thereafter conveyed to Nigeria to face charges over his alleged involvement in the trafficking syndicate behind the 49.70kg heroin consignment.
According to Babafemi, the seizure, intercepted in February 2024, was the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Lagos international airport.
He said Ibewuike was one of three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia after operatives of the Agency’s MMIA Strategic Command carried out a coordinated 12-day operation that led to the interception of the heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal.
Babafemi disclosed that Ibewuike had relocated to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business as a front, while continuing to evade arrest.
He said the operation also led to the arrest of key members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who routinely received drug-laden parcels marked with the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.
The NDLEA spokesman added that the operation resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties linked to the drug cartel.
Babafemi said the suspects arrested during the operation were subsequently charged before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge No. FHC/L/205C/2024.
He disclosed that three of the suspects-Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline, had so far been convicted and sentenced by the court.
Babafemi stated that three other suspects-Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, were still standing trial before the court.
He added that three other suspects charged in absentia were Ibewuike Festus, also known as Ibewuike Chidibest; Osita Chidozie Cyril; and one Arinze.
According to Babafemi, Ibewuike had spent more than two years as a fugitive, moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an attempt to evade Nigerian law enforcement authorities.
He said the suspect was arrested after actionable intelligence established his location, bringing an end to his prolonged flight from justice.
Babafemi disclosed that during preliminary interviews, the 52-year-old suspect confirmed his identity and revealed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
He said that on September 5, Ibewuike was taken to the Agency’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the parcels of heroin bearing the “ND” code that investigators had established were linked to him.
Babafemi further disclosed that investigations revealed that Ibewuike had previously been associated with another drug-related case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
He said the earlier case, presided over by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, involved the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine and was filed under charge No. FHC/L/203C/2013.
According to him, the case involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was subsequently convicted by the court in 2023.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the Agency’s efforts to track down fleeing drug kingpins.
Marwa said the arrest demonstrated the NDLEA’s resolve to pursue drug barons who believe fleeing the country could place them beyond the reach of the law.
He vowed that the Agency would continue to pursue suspects involved in illicit drug trafficking regardless of how long they remained on the run or where they fled.
“This arrest is a major breakthrough in our resolve to track down and bring to justice every drug baron who thinks that fleeing Nigeria’s shores puts them beyond the reach of the law,” Marwa said.
He added: “As I have always vowed, the long arm of the NDLEA will catch up with anyone involved in this illicit trade, no matter how long it takes or how far they run.”
Marwa said Ibewuike had spent more than two years hiding under a changed name and a new life abroad but had now been returned to Nigeria to answer questions over the 49.70kg heroin seizure linked to his network.
He warned other fleeing suspects still at large that the Agency would not relent until they were brought to book.
Marwa also commended the multinational cooperation that facilitated Ibewuike’s arrest and transfer to Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus for their role in ensuring a smooth transfer of custody.
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