The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a wanted suspected drug kingpin, Festus Ibewuike, from Benin Republic to Nigeria.
The 52-year-old suspect was arrested in Cotonou on September 2, 2026, following a joint operation involving the NDLEA and INTERPOL offices in Nigeria and Benin Republic.
Ibewuike had allegedly been on the run for more than two years after the NDLEA seized 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in February 2024. The agency described the seizure as the largest single heroin seizure recorded at the airport.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect reportedly relocated to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business as a cover, while travelling between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an attempt to evade arrest.
The agency said investigations into the drug network led to the arrest of several suspects, the freezing of 107 bank accounts and the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the cartel.
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Three suspects have so far been convicted and sentenced, while others remain on trial. Ibewuike had also reportedly been charged in absentia.
Following his return to Nigeria, the suspect was taken to the NDLEA’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he allegedly identified heroin parcels bearing the code “ND” as being linked to him.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough, warning fleeing drug suspects that the agency would continue to pursue them regardless of how long they remain outside the country.
Ibewuike is expected to face charges relating to the 49.70kg heroin seizure.
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