Crime
NDLEA Ends 13-Year Manhunt as Drug Kingpin Surrenders, Major Meth Lab Busted
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
Crime
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State —
Pandemonium broke out yesterday in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku as a violent group of attackers alleged to be from Ibusa descended on the community in a coordinated assault that left residents injured, properties destroyed, and a serving police officer seriously wounded.
Eyewitness accounts and security sources confirmed that the attack was led by one Lucky Abuah, popularly known as “Bullet,” described by law enforcement authorities as a repeat offender and a person of interest in multiple violent incidents across jurisdictions.
The attackers reportedly invaded the area in broad daylight, unleashing violence on residents and damaging structures before security forces responded.
Swift intervention by officers from the Ogwashi-Uku Area Command and reinforcements from the Delta State Police Headquarters, Asaba, brought the situation under control after an intense confrontation.
The attackers were eventually repelled, restoring a tense calm to the area.
Police sources disclosed that Lucky Abuah is already wanted by authorities in Abuja in connection with similar violent activities, and that criminal charges bordering on aggravated assault and grievous harm have been filed against him at the Delta State High Court.
A senior community leader, Chief Ralph Okafor, reacting to the incident, condemned the attack in strong terms, describing Abuah and his associates as “notorious land grabbers” who have repeatedly carried out violent incursions into neighbouring communities.
“This is not an isolated incident. These individuals have a pattern of using violence and intimidation to push false claims. What happened in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku is a clear example of lawlessness that must be decisively addressed,” he stated.
The attack comes at a highly sensitive time, coinciding with the commencement of proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 18, 2026, before Honourable Justice Omotosho, concerning the proper name and legal location of Admiralty University.
Members of the Ogwashi-Uku community maintain that the institution is situated within Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area, and not in Oshimili North, stressing that local government boundaries are constitutional matters that cannot be altered arbitrarily or by administrative claims.
According to community sources, the recognized boundary between Ibusa (Oshimili North) and Ogwashi-Uku lies several kilometers away from the university’s actual location, and the matter is now squarely before the Federal High Court for judicial determination.
Observers have raised concerns that the violent incident may not be unconnected with attempts by certain elements to preempt or influence ongoing judicial proceedings through intimidation and public pressure.
There are also growing criticisms of calls from some Ibusa figures urging government intervention in a matter already pending before competent courts, a move legal experts describe as a dangerous encroachment on judicial independence.
Chief Okafor further dismissed claims circulating in some quarters about a purported 1986 Supreme Court judgment allegedly settling the boundary dispute, describing such assertions as “false, misleading, and legally untenable.”
“The Delta State Government does not execute court judgments. It is the courts that enforce their decisions through due process. How can anyone suddenly resurrect a supposed judgment from forty years ago, which did not even address boundary issues, and attempt to use it to justify present-day claims? It is completely absurd,” he said.
He emphasized that the actual boundary dispute between the two communities is currently before the Delta State High Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Obi, and urged all parties to respect the judicial process.
“No amount of intimidation, propaganda, or violent grandstanding will alter the facts before the court. Ogwashi-Uku will not be bullied or pushed around by fabricated claims,” he added.
The latest development sharply contradicts recent narratives from Ibusa representatives portraying the community as peaceful and law-abiding, raising serious questions about the credibility of such claims in light of the violent events in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku.
Security has since been reinforced in the affected areas, while residents remain on edge, calling on authorities to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
As tensions continue to rise, all eyes are now on both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the Delta State High Court in Asaba, where the legal battles over boundary and institutional identity are expected to provide definitive answers.
For many observers, however, one thing is clear — the rule of law, not violence, will determine the true ownership and identity of the disputed territory.
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Crime
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
By: Zagazola Makama
Security operatives in Katsina have recovered two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rifles and large quantities of ammunition from three bandits neutralised in a recent clash with community vigilantes.
Sources said the discovery was made on Wednesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. in Sabon Gida Village, Jibia Local Government Area, following a violent confrontation between vigilante members and repentant bandits on March 17.
According to the sources, a concealed sack recovered from the neutralised bandits contained two RPG rifles, 139 rounds of live ammunition, and two magazine chains.
The items were safely recovered by security personnel.
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
Crime
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested two suspected informants linked to ISWAP in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno.
Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday following credible intelligence from a watchkeeper on suspicious movements within the Mainok general area.
According to the sources, troops of the 156 Task Force Battalion swiftly responded and intercepted the suspects while moving towards the Goni–Masari axis.
The sources disclosed that the suspects were found in possession of electrical cables at the time of their arrest, raising suspicions over possible sabotage or support activities for terrorist elements.
“They are currently in custody and undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain their roles and possible links with terrorist groups,” the source said.
He added that the operation underscores the importance of community-based intelligence in ongoing counter-insurgency efforts across the North-East.
The source reaffirmed that troops remain vigilant and committed to denying terrorists freedom of action within their areas of responsibility.
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News11 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
