The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended and repatriated fugitive drug kingpin Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, following a multi-agency international operation.
This is contained in a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Ibewuike had been on the run for over two years after his involvement in the largest single heroin seizure recorded at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The 52-year-old suspect was tracked down and arrested at the Cotonou airport in Benin Republic on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Working alongside INTERPOL
National Central Bureaus in Nigeria and Benin Republic, an NDLEA team took custody of Ibewuike in Cotonou on Friday, September 4, and returned him to Nigeria to face trial.
Ibewuike’s arrest stems from a February 2024 operation at the MMIA cargo terminal, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed inside metal-cutting machines.
The initial bust triggered financial and asset tracking that led to the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties linked to the syndicate.
Key Figures and Legal Statuses Linked to the Cartel
Convicted and Sentenced: Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna, and Uzochukwu Frankline.
Currently Standing Trial: Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence (the suspect’s wife, who received packages marked “ND”), and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene.
Charged In Absentia / Fleeing: Osita Chidozie Cyril and an individual identified only as Arinze.
Investigators revealed that after fleeing Nigeria, Ibewuike relocated to Mozambique to run a hotel front and routinely slipped between Mozambique and Nigeria via Benin Republic under a changed identity.
Following his extradition, Ibewuike identified the seized heroin parcels bearing his “ND” marking at the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi on September 5. Records also link him to a 2013 case involving 40.255kg of methamphetamine.
Commending the cross-border intelligence sharing with Beninese authorities and INTERPOL, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) reaffirmed the agency’s resolve: “No matter how long it takes or how far they run, the long arm of the NDLEA will catch up with anyone involved in this illicit trade.”
