The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, a suspected drug kingpin who had been on the run for over two years following the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin, the largest single heroin consignment intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
In a statement on Wednesday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Ibewuike, who relocated to Mozambique where he allegedly operated a hotel as a front, was one of three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia after operatives of the Agency’s MMIA Strategic Command, in a coordinated 12-day operation in February 2024, intercepted the consignment concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the airport’s Import Shed.
Babafemi said the operation led to the arrest of key members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who allegedly routinely received drug-laden parcels marked with the code “ND” on his behalf.
He stated that the investigation also resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties linked to the alleged cartel.
Babafemi said the suspects were subsequently charged before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/205C/2024.
He said three of the suspects, Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline, had so far been convicted and sentenced by the court.
According to him, three others, Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, are still standing trial, while three suspects, including Ibewuike, Osita Chidozie Cyril and one Arinze, were charged in absentia.
According to the statement, Ibewuike remained at large for over two years, moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an attempt to evade arrest.
His run, however, came to an end following actionable intelligence which led to his arrest at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
The Agency said it subsequently worked with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) in Nigeria and Benin Republic to facilitate his handover to a team of NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on Friday, September 4.
He was thereafter conveyed to Nigeria to answer questions over his alleged role in the trafficking syndicate.
Babafemi said 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 Saturday, September 5, 2026, he was taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the parcels of heroin bearing the “ND” code, which the Agency said had been 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, presided over by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari.
The case, filed under charge number FHC/L/203C/2013, involved the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine and one Chidi Ihedioha, who was subsequently convicted by the court in 2023.
Babafemi, quoting the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s pursuit of fleeing drug kingpins.
“This arrest is a major breakthrough in our 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,” Marwa said.
He added: “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.
“Festus Ibewuike ran for over two years, hiding under a change of name and a new life abroad, but today he is back in Nigeria to answer for the 49.70kg heroin seizure linked to his network.
“This should serve as a fresh warning to fleeing suspects still at large: the Agency will not relent until every one of you is brought to book.”
Babafemi said Marwa also commended the multinational cooperation that made the arrest and repatriation possible, particularly the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus, for their role in ensuring a smooth transfer of custody.
He said the development underscored the NDLEA’s determination to pursue suspected drug traffickers beyond Nigeria’s borders and ensure that fleeing suspects are brought back to face the law.
