Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested and repatriated Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, a suspected drug kingpin who had been on the run for more than two years following the seizure of what the agency described as the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The 52-year-old suspect was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following actionable intelligence received by the NDLEA.
Ibewuike's arrest brought an end to a calculated evasion that saw him relocate to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business as a front, while shuttling between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic to evade Nigerian law enforcement. According to the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, the agency worked with INTERPOL in Nigeria and Benin Republic to facilitate his handover to a team of NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on September 4. He was thereafter conveyed to Nigeria to answer for his role in the trafficking syndicate.
The investigation dates back to February 2024, when operatives of the NDLEA's Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command, in a coordinated 12-day operation, intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the airport's cargo terminal. The operation 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 his behalf. It also resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties linked to the cartel.
The suspects were charged before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in Charge No. FHC/L/205C/2024. Three suspects—Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna, and Uzochukwu Frankline—have been convicted and sentenced by the court. Three others—Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence, and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene—are still standing trial. Ibewuike, who was charged in absentia alongside Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze, had remained a fugitive for more than two years.
During preliminary interviews, Ibewuike confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike. On Saturday, September 5, he was taken to the Agency's Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the parcels of heroin, bearing the "ND" code, established to be linked to him. Further investigation also revealed that Ibewuike had previously been associated with another drug-related case before the Federal High Court, Lagos, regarding the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine. That case involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was subsequently convicted by the court in 2023.
Reacting to the arrest, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the development as a major breakthrough in the agency's 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. "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 declared. The arrest serves as a warning to other suspects still at large and demonstrates the agency's determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating in and out of Nigeria.
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