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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated alleged drug kingpin, Festus Ibewuike, who had been on the run for more than two years after the interception of 49.70 kilograms of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
NDLEA said Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, was apprehended in Cotonou, Benin Republic, through a joint operation involving INTERPOL in Nigeria and Benin Republic before being handed over to Nigerian authorities to face prosecution.
According to the Agency, the suspect fled Nigeria after operatives of the MMIA Strategic Command intercepted the record heroin consignment in February 2024. The drugs were concealed inside cartons of metal-cutting machines at the airport\'s cargo terminal.
The operation led to the arrest of several members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike\'s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who allegedly received drug consignments on his behalf. Investigators also froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties linked to the cartel.
NDLEA said three suspects have already been convicted in connection with the case, while three others, including Ibewuike\'s wife, are still standing trial. Three additional suspects, including Ibewuike, had earlier been charged in absentia.
The Agency disclosed that Ibewuike had been evading arrest by travelling between Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business, and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic before intelligence led to his arrest on September 2, 2026.
During interrogation, the 52-year-old suspect reportedly admitted changing his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike. He was later taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Lagos, where he identified heroin parcels marked with the code \"ND,\" which investigators linked to him.
Further investigations also connected him to an earlier drug trafficking case involving the seizure of 40.255 kilograms of methamphetamine before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a significant breakthrough, warning that no fleeing drug trafficker would escape justice.
He commended the collaboration between the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaux, saying the successful operation demonstrated the strength of international cooperation in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.
