NDLEA BRINGS FUGITIVE DRUG SUSPECT BACK TO NIGERIA OVER 49.7KG HEROIN CASE

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested and repatriated 52-year-old Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, who was declared wanted in connection with the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos in 2024. The suspected drug kingpin had reportedly remained on the run for more than two years before his arrest in neighbouring Benin Republic.

According to the NDLEA, Ibewuike was arrested at the airport in Cotonou on September 2, 2026, following actionable intelligence. Investigators said he had been moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through Benin Republic in an effort to evade arrest. The agency added that he had relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel business as a cover. NDLEA subsequently worked with INTERPOL authorities in both countries before sending its operatives to Cotonou on September 4 to take custody of him and return him to Nigeria.

The case dates back to February 2024, when NDLEA operatives intercepted what the agency described as the largest heroin consignment recorded at the Lagos airport. The 49.70kg of heroin was concealed inside cartons containing metal-cutting machines at the airport's cargo terminal. The operation also led to the arrest of several alleged members of the trafficking syndicate, including Ibewuike's wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who the agency said routinely received parcels marked with the code “ND” on his behalf. Investigators also froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties allegedly connected to the syndicate.

Several suspects were subsequently prosecuted before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. NDLEA said Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline have been convicted and sentenced, while Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Confidence Ibewuike and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene remain on trial. Ibewuike, who had been charged in absentia, reportedly confirmed his identity during preliminary questioning and told investigators that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike. He later identified parcels bearing the “ND” code at the agency's Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi.

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 traffickers who flee the country. He commended the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus for facilitating the suspect's transfer and warned other fugitives that leaving Nigeria would not shield them from prosecution. Further investigations are expected to establish Ibewuike's full role in the alleged trafficking network and his links to other suspects.