By: Barth Ozah
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 over a 49.70kg heroin seizure.
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.
He said the suspect was handed over to NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on September 4 through collaboration between the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus.
Ibewuike was subsequently brought back to Nigeria to face charges over his alleged involvement in the drug trafficking syndicate linked to the heroin consignment seized in February 2024.
According to Babafemi, the 49.70kg consignment, concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was the largest single heroin seizure recorded at the airport.
He said Ibewuike was among three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia following a 12-day operation that uncovered the syndicate.
Babafemi disclosed that the suspect had relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel business as a cover while continuing to evade arrest. He reportedly moved between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic.
The operation also led to the arrest of several alleged members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who allegedly received drug parcels bearing the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.
The NDLEA spokesman said 107 bank accounts were frozen and properties linked to the cartel forfeited, while some suspects had been convicted and sentenced.
He added that during preliminary interviews, the 52-year-old suspect confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
On September 5, the suspect was taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he reportedly identified heroin parcels bearing the “ND” code that investigators linked to him.
Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), described it as a major breakthrough in the agency’s efforts to apprehend fleeing drug traffickers.
Marwa vowed that the agency would continue to pursue drug barons regardless of how long they remained at large or where they fled, stressing that fleeing the country would not place suspects beyond the reach of the law.(PGS NEWS)
