NDLEA arrests, repatriates fugitive drug kingpin over 49.7kg heroin seizure

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended and repatriated suspected drug kingpin Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, following the seizure of the largest heroin consignment ever recorded at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced the arrest in a statement on Wednesday.

Ibewuike had been residing in Mozambique, operating a hotel business as a front, after being declared wanted and charged in absentia alongside two others. The suspects were declared wanted following a 12-day operation by the NDLEA's MMIA Strategic Command in February 2024, during which 49.70kg of heroin was intercepted at the airport.

Ibewuike's wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, was among those arrested, as she allegedly received drug-laden parcels. The agency also froze 107 bank accounts and seized properties linked to the syndicate. Three suspects, Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna, and Uzochukwu Frankline, have already been convicted and sentenced.

Three others are still on trial, while three suspects remain at large. Ibewuike evaded authorities for over two years, moving between Mozambique, Nigeria, and Benin Republic. His arrest was facilitated by INTERPOL and took place in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026.