The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated alleged drug kingpin Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, more than two years after he went into hiding.
Ibewuike, 52, was arrested at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, following actionable intelligence and a joint operation involving the NDLEA and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
He was handed over to NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on Friday, September 4, and subsequently brought back to Nigeria to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking syndicate.
The NDLEA announced his arrest in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, Ibewuike was among three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia following the seizure of 49.70 kilogrammes of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in February 2024.
The NDLEA described the seizure as the largest single consignment of heroin ever intercepted at the airport.
The illicit shipment was concealed in cartons containing metal-cutting machines and discovered at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal during a 12-day operation by operatives of the agency’s MMIA Strategic Command.
The operation resulted in the arrest of several alleged members of the syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike.
The agency alleged that Confidence routinely received drug-laden parcels on behalf of her husband. The consignments were reportedly marked with the code “ND” to facilitate their identification.
As part of investigations into the trafficking network, the NDLEA said it froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the cartel.
The agency said Ibewuike subsequently relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly used a hotel business as a cover while continuing to move between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an effort to evade arrest.
His movements, however, were eventually traced through intelligence gathered by the NDLEA and INTERPOL, leading to his arrest in Cotonou.
During preliminary interviews after his repatriation to Nigeria, the suspect reportedly confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
The NDLEA said he would now face prosecution over his alleged role in the trafficking operation.
