National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, a suspected drug kingpin who had evaded arrest for over two years following the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Ibewuike was among three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia after NDLEA operatives intercepted the heroin consignment, concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines, at the airport cargo terminal in February 2024.
The operation, described as the largest single heroin seizure recorded at the airport, also led to the arrest of several members of the trafficking syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike. The agency also froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties linked to the cartel.
Three suspects—Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline—have since been convicted and sentenced, while Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene remain on trial.
Ibewuike reportedly relocated to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business as a front, and allegedly travelled between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic to evade arrest.
His run came to an end on September 2, 2026, when he was arrested at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, following actionable intelligence and collaboration between the NDLEA and INTERPOL authorities in Nigeria and Benin.
A team of NDLEA operatives subsequently travelled to Cotonou on September 4 to take custody of the suspect and convey him back to Nigeria to face prosecution.
During preliminary questioning, the 52-year-old suspect confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike. On September 5, he was taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the heroin parcels bearing the “ND” code linked to his network.
Further investigations also linked Ibewuike to an earlier drug case involving the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Reacting to the development, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s efforts to track down fleeing drug kingpins.
Marwa warned drug traffickers who flee the country that the NDLEA would continue to pursue them regardless of where they hide or how long they remain at large.
He also commended the multinational cooperation, particularly the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus, which facilitated the suspect’s transfer and repatriation to Nigeria.