By Crystal Ugoeze
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 wanted for more than two years over the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The suspect was arrested on September 2, 2026, at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, following actionable intelligence.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, Ibewuike was handed over to a team of NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on September 4, following collaboration between the agency and INTERPOL offices in Nigeria and Benin Republic.
The suspect was subsequently brought to Nigeria to face trial over his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking syndicate.
Ibewuike was among three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia after NDLEA operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the airport’s cargo terminal.
The seizure was made during a 12-day operation in February 2024 and was described by the agency as the largest single heroin consignment ever intercepted at the Lagos international airport.
The investigation led to the arrest of several members of the alleged syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who allegedly received drug-laden parcels marked with the code “ND” on his behalf.
The NDLEA said investigations also resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the drug trafficking network.
Several suspects were subsequently prosecuted before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/205C/2024.
Three suspects — Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline — have been convicted and sentenced.
Three others — Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene — are still standing trial.
Ibewuike Festus, also known as Ibewuike Chidibest, was among three suspects charged in absentia, alongside Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze.
The NDLEA said Ibewuike allegedly evaded arrest for more than two years, moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic.
The agency said intelligence eventually led to his arrest at the Cotonou airport.
During preliminary questioning, the 52-year-old suspect reportedly confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
On September 5, he was taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he reportedly identified the parcels of heroin bearing the “ND” code that investigators had linked to him.
Further investigation, according to the agency, also linked Ibewuike to an earlier drug-related case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The earlier case, filed under charge number FHC/L/203C/2013, involved the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine and was presided over by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari.
The case involved a suspect identified as Chidi Ihedioha, who was convicted in 2023.
Reacting to the development, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s efforts to track down suspected drug kingpins who flee the country.
Marwa said the arrest demonstrated that suspects involved in illicit drug trafficking could not evade justice by leaving Nigeria or changing their identities.
He warned other suspects still at large that the agency would continue pursuing them until they were brought to justice.
The NDLEA chairman also commended the cooperation between Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus, saying the collaboration was instrumental to the successful transfer of the suspect.
The agency said the arrest further demonstrated its ongoing efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking networks and bring their key operators to justice.