Abuja, March 1, 2026 – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a notorious and wanted drug kingpin, Reginald, after 13 years in hiding.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement on Sunday..
It said Chidiebere’s arrest followed the seizure of large consignments of cocaine and heroin linked to him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The statement said ‘the drug lord was first arrested in 2013 over the shipment of cocaine into Nigeria and was subsequently arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge no. FHC/L/187c/2923.
“He, however, jumped bail and went into hiding after the trial judge granted him bail in 2013 and has since remained at large.
‘In February 2024, his name featured prominently as one of the masterminds of the shipment of 49.70 kilograms of heroin imported from South Africa following the interception of the consignment by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Lagos airport.
“A follow-up operation was carried out on 19th February 2024 at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites, located at No. 16/18 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin was recovered from one of his guests, Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod. As a result, Chidiebere went underground.
“The agency, however, secured the interim forfeiture of his hotel and blocked all bank accounts traced to him since 2024.
“Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on 13th February 2026 and has since been taken into custody to face his pending charges for which he jumped bail in 2013 and fresh charges based on the 2024 heroin consignments linked to him.”
The NDLEA also said it operatives in Imo State, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, dismantled a clandestine laboratory tucked in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba local government area of the state, where 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered along with a large quantity of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of the illicit substance.
The NDLEA operatives from Seme border in Badagry area of Lagos also intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa who concealed 5,000 pills of tramadol in her luggage at the departure tarmac on Friday, Feb, 27, 2026.
It said a total of 1,040 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were also recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos by operatives on Wednesday, Feb. 25. While another suspect, Ashiru Bala, 45, was arrested at Lambu, Tafa LGA in Kano State, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup, while conveying the consignment in his Volkswagen Golf car marked CA 911 ABC.
Yahaya Usaini, 21, a suspect, was also arrested while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number KUJ 544 RL along Zaria- Dutsinma road, Katsina state on Friday, Feb. 27,2026.
In Osun, two suspects, Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday, 23rd February, in connection with the seizure of 18.085kg of skunk at the Aregbe area of Osogbo, the state capital.
NDLEA operatives intercepted 637,600 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5,while acting on credible intelligence on Thursday, 26th February, intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle marked KWL-607DC along Bali – Suntai road while conveying the consignment to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA, Taraba state.
