NDLEA Ends 13-Year Manhunt as Drug Kingpin Surrenders, Major Meth Lab Busted

By: Michael Mike

After more than a decade on the run, a fugitive drug baron has finally fallen into the hands of the authorities, marking what anti-narcotics officials describe as a decisive blow against organised drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed that Reginald Chidiebere, wanted since 2013 after absconding while on bail over cocaine trafficking charges, surrendered to operatives on 13 February 2026. His capitulation brings to a close a 13-year pursuit that had seen him repeatedly linked to high-volume heroin imports through Lagos.

According to a statement on Sunday by spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos. However, after securing bail, he vanished, frustrating prosecution efforts and remaining at large despite intelligence linking him to fresh trafficking operations.

Babafemi said Chidiebere name resurfaced prominently in February 2024 when NDLEA officers intercepted 49.7 kilogrammes of heroin imported from South Africa at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja.

He said a follow-up raid on his hotel property in Okota yielded an additional 2.2 kilogrammes of heroin recovered from a guest. Authorities subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on the hotel and froze bank accounts traced to him, tightening the net around the fugitive businessman.

Babafemi said under mounting operational pressure and financial constraints following asset seizures, Chidiebere ultimately surrendered, and now in custody and expected to face both the original charges he fled in 2013 and fresh counts relating to the 2024 heroin consignments.

The arrest formed part of a week of sweeping enforcement actions across several states, underscoring what the agency described as a strategy of sustained disruption against supply chains.

In Imo State, operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory concealed in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, within Njaba Local Government Area. The raid led to the recovery of 18.4 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, alongside precursor chemicals and production equipment — evidence of a growing domestic manufacturing capability that security experts have warned could deepen Nigeria’s exposure to synthetic drug markets.

Elsewhere, enforcement efforts yielded substantial seizures. At the Seme border in Badagry, a Togolese national was intercepted with 5,000 tramadol tablets concealed in luggage. In the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos, officers recovered 1,040 kilogrammes of skunk from an unfinished building.

Significant opioid consignments were also intercepted in Taraba State, where intelligence-led operations uncovered 637,600 pills including tramadol and diazepam concealed in a vehicle bound for Gashaka Local Government Area. Additional cannabis seizures were recorded in Katsina, Osun, Kano, Borno and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers across the various commands for what he described as their persistence and professionalism. He stressed that the agency would continue to pursue traffickers regardless of how long they attempt to evade justice.

He said: “The agency remains resolute in dismantling criminal networks and bringing all offenders to justice,” pointing to the kingpin’s eventual surrender as proof that sustained enforcement pressure yields results.

Beyond interdictions, the agency reported continued implementation of its War Against Drug Abuse advocacy campaign in secondary schools across several states, aimed at balancing supply reduction with demand reduction initiatives.

NDLEA Ends 13-Year Manhunt as Drug Kingpin Surrenders, Major Meth Lab Busted

Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Kaga in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Mainok Market, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources told Zagazola that the suspect, identified as Bukar Hassan, 30, was apprehended at about 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 following credible intelligence.

The operation was carried out by troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Items recovered from the suspect included one mobile phone, a knife and the sum of N100,000.

Sources said preliminary investigation was ongoing to determine the suspect’s alleged involvement in providing logistics support to Boko Haram terrorists.

Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Kaga in Borno

Confusion in ISWAP camp after senior Commander killed by own IED in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Confusion has reportedly engulfed a factional camp of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the death of a senior Commander who was allegedly killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by his own group.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred on Feb. 24, triggered internal discord and heightened tensions within the insurgent ranks operating in parts of the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the sources, a fighter identified as a unit intelligence member (UIM) sought clarification from a senior Commander, Amir Musa, over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two members of the group.

The UIM reportedly demanded explanations over the killing of one Abu Nazir, said to have been eliminated by fellow ISWAP elements, as well as the death of a senior Commander, Abu Kasim.

Abu Kasim was said to have died after an IED planted by his faction detonated along a route where he was operating. The explosion reportedly occurred amid clashes between ISWAP and rival Boko Haram elements.

Further accounts indicated that Abu Nazir’s death followed an encounter with Boko Haram fighters believed to have been responsible for the earlier killing of Abu Kasim, compounding tensions and suspicion within the camp.

Sources said the development suggested possible cases of friendly fire, operational lapses and a breakdown in coordination among the insurgents.

The incident is believed to reflect persistent hostilities between ISWAP and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly referred to as Boko Haram, despite both groups tracing their origins to the same insurgent movement.

Sources say such internal rifts has further weaken the operational cohesion of the factions, even as security forces sustain pressure on terrorist enclaves across the region.

Confusion in ISWAP camp after senior Commander killed by own IED in Borno