Marwa Vows Agency Will Not Relent Until Every Fleeing Suspect Is Brought To Book
Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has secured a major breakthrough in its war against narcotics with the arrest and repatriation of Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, a fugitive drug kingpin who had evaded justice for more than two years after the interception of the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Ibewuike, 52, was arrested on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026 at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic following actionable intelligence. The NDLEA worked closely with INTERPOL in both Nigeria and Benin to facilitate his handover to a team of operatives deployed to Cotonou on Friday, 4th September. He was thereafter conveyed to Nigeria to answer for his role in the trafficking syndicate. On Saturday, 5th September, the suspect was taken to the Agency’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified parcels of heroin bearing the code “ND” which investigators had established were linked to him.
The arrest is connected to a painstaking 12-day operation in February 2024 by operatives of the NDLEA MMIA Strategic Command. During that operation, 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines was intercepted at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal. Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who routinely received drug-laden parcels marked with the “ND” code on his behalf, was among those arrested at the time. The Agency also moved swiftly to dismantle the cartel’s financial base by freezing 107 bank accounts and securing the forfeiture of properties traced to the network.
Following the seizure, nine suspects were charged before Hon. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge no. FHC/L/205C/2024. Three of them, Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline, have so far been convicted and sentenced by the court. Another three, Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, are still standing trial. The remaining three, including Ibewuike himself, Osita Chidozie Cyril and one Arinze, were charged in absentia after fleeing the country.
For over two years, Ibewuike remained on the run, shuttling between Mozambique, where he ran a hotel business as a front, and Nigeria through the neighbouring Benin Republic in a calculated bid to evade Nigerian law enforcement. During preliminary interviews after his arrest, he confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest to Festus Ibewuike. Further investigation also revealed that he had previously been linked to another drug-related case before Hon. Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge no. FHC/L/203C/2013, which involved the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine and the eventual conviction of one Chidi Ihedioha in 2023.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the Agency’s relentless pursuit of fleeing drug barons. “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 stated. “As I have always vowed, 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. Festus Ibewuike ran for over two years, hiding under a change of name and a new life abroad, but today he is back in Nigeria to answer for the 49.70kg heroin seizure linked to his network. This should serve as a fresh warning to fleeing suspects still at large: the Agency will not relent until every one of you is brought to book.”
The NDLEA Chairman also commended the excellent multinational cooperation that made the breakthrough possible, particularly the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus for their role in ensuring a smooth transfer of custody.
With Ibewuike now in custody, the Agency says its manhunt continues for the remaining suspects still at large as it sustains its push to rid the country of illicit drug trafficking.