The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully secured the arrest and repatriation of Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, a fugitive drug kingpin who had evaded arrest for over two years following the interception of the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Ibewuike, who relocated to Mozambique where he ran a hotel business as a front, was one of three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia after operatives of the Agency’s MMIA Strategic Command, in a coordinated 12-day operation in February 2024, intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal, reports The Guardian.
The operation, which led to the arrest of key members of the syndicate, including his wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who routinely received drug-laden parcels marked with the code “ND” on his behalf, also resulted in the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties linked to the cartel.
Those arrested were subsequently charged before Hon. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge no. FHC/L/205C/2024. Three of the suspects who have so far been convicted and sentenced by the court include: Adinnu Felix Chinedu;
Osita Emmanuel Obinna; and Uzochukwu Frankline. Three other suspects still standing trial before the court are: Chidiebere Reginald Peter; Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence; and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, while three others who were charged in absentia include: Ibewuike Festus, a.k.a. Ibewuike Chidibest; Osita Chidozie Cyril; and one Arinze.
For over two years, Ibewuike remained a fugitive, shuttling between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in a calculated bid to evade Nigerian law enforcement.
That evasion came to an end following actionable intelligence, which led to his arrest at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while the Agency worked with INTERPOL both in Nigeria and Benin Republic to facilitate his handover to a team of NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on Friday, September 4.
He was thereafter conveyed to Nigeria to answer for his role in the trafficking syndicate.
During preliminary interviews, Ibewuike, 52, confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
On Saturday, September 5, 2026, he was taken to the Agency’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the parcels of heroin, bearing the “ND” code, established to be linked to him.
Further investigation also revealed that Ibewuike Festus had previously been associated with another drug-related case before the Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Hon. Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari in charge no. FHC/L/203C/2013, regarding the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.
The case involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was subsequently convicted by the court in 2023.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/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 kingpins.
“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 said.
“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 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.
