Lagos, March 1, 2026 – SUNTV Global Channel
In a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a long-wanted international drug kingpin, who spent 13 years evading justice.
Chidiebere, first arrested in 2013 for cocaine importation and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, reportedly jumped bail and disappeared, avoiding authorities for over a decade.
The arrest follows extensive investigations linking him to massive heroin shipments intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in 2024. In February that year, NDLEA operatives seized a 49.70-kilogram heroin consignment from South Africa, with Chidiebere identified as one of the masterminds behind the operation.
Further raids led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from a hotel guest at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in Okota, Lagos. The agency subsequently froze his bank accounts and secured a forfeiture order on the hotel, crippling his network and forcing him out of hiding.
Under sustained pressure, Chidiebere surrendered to NDLEA on February 13, 2026, and is now in custody to face both the original 2013 charges and fresh allegations linked to the 2024 heroin consignments.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, described the arrest as a significant victory in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against drug trafficking, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to dismantling organized crime networks.
