ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- After more than two years on the run, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has brought back to Nigeria a suspected drug kingpin linked to the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The suspect, 52-year-old Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, was arrested in neighbouring Benin Republic and subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives following an international operation involving INTERPOL.
The agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ibewuike was arrested at the airport in Cotonou on September 2, 2026, after security operatives acted on actionable intelligence concerning his whereabouts.
The NDLEA said the suspect had been moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through Benin Republic in an effort to evade arrest. He was said to have relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel business as a cover.
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Following his arrest, INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus in Nigeria and Benin Republic facilitated his transfer before an NDLEA team travelled to Cotonou on September 4 to take custody of him and return him to Nigeria.
The agency said Ibewuike was declared wanted after 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines was intercepted at the Import Shed of the MMIA cargo terminal in February 2024.
The seizure followed a 12-day investigation that led to the arrest of several suspected members of the trafficking network.
Among those arrested was Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who the agency alleged routinely received drug-laden parcels bearing the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.
The investigation also resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the syndicate.
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The suspects were subsequently arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/205C/2024.
The NDLEA said three suspects Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline had been convicted and sentenced, while Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene remained on trial.
Ibewuike was charged in absentia alongside Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze.
During preliminary interviews following his arrest, the suspect reportedly confirmed his identity and told investigators that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
He was subsequently taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, on September 5, where the agency said he formally identified the heroin parcels bearing the “ND” code as those linked to him.
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Reacting to the development, 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 suspects who flee the country after alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
“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, “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 also commended the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus for their role in securing the suspect’s transfer and return to Nigeria.
The NDLEA said the latest development underscored its continued efforts to pursue suspects linked to major drug trafficking operations beyond Nigeria’s borders.