After more than two years on the run, Festus Ibewuike, a suspected drug kingpin linked to the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, has been arrested and brought back to Nigeria by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Mr Ibewuike, 52, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on 2 September, following intelligence received by the NDLEA.
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He was handed over to Nigerian anti-narcotics officials on 4 September with the assistance of the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus in Nigeria and Benin and subsequently returned to Nigeria.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.
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The agency stated that Mr Ibewuike had been living in Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business which allegedly served as a cover for his activities.
He travelled between Mozambique and Nigeria through Benin Republic, according to the NDLEA.
The statement noted that his arrest followed an investigation into a heroin consignment intercepted at the Lagos airport in February 2024.
49.70kg heroin seized at Lagos airport
NDLEA operatives attached to the airport’s Strategic Command intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the cargo terminal.
The agency described the seizure as the largest single consignment of heroin intercepted at the Lagos airport.
The seizure was the result of a 12-day operation during which several members of the syndicate were arrested, while others, including Mr Ibewuike, were declared wanted.
The agency had noted that investigation later led to the recovery of another 2.2kg of heroin, bringing the total quantity recovered in connection with the syndicate to 51.90kg.
The NDLEA also said 107 bank accounts were frozen and properties allegedly linked to the syndicate were forfeited.
Among those arrested was Mr Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike. The agency alleged that she routinely received parcels containing drugs on behalf of her husband.
The parcels were marked with the code “ND”, according to the NDLEA.
The suspects were charged before the Federal High Court in Lagos in charge number FHC/L/205C/2024.
Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline have since been convicted and sentenced, the agency said.
Three other defendants — Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene — are still standing trial.
Mr Ibewuike, Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze were charged in absentia.
How Ibewuike was traced
The NDLEA explained that Mr Ibewuike remained outside the reach of Nigerian authorities for more than two years, moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through Benin Republic.
That changed after the agency received intelligence that led to his arrest at the Cotonou airport on 2 September.
NDLEA operatives travelled to Cotonou two days later and took custody of him before returning him to Nigeria.
During preliminary questioning, Mr Ibewuike confirmed his identity and told investigators that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike, the agency said.
On 5 September, he was taken to the NDLEA’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where the agency said he identified parcels of heroin bearing the “ND” code.
The NDLEA stated that the identification further linked him to the consignment seized at the airport.
Earlier drug case
The agency also said its investigation uncovered Mr Ibewuike’s alleged connection to an earlier drug case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The case, filed as FHC/L/203C/2013 before Judge Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, involved the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.
The NDLEA noted that the case involved a suspect identified as Chidi Ihedioha, who was convicted by the court in 2023.
Marwa: Fleeing Nigeria will not guarantee escape
Reacting to the arrest, the NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, stated that the development showed that suspects could not escape prosecution simply by leaving Nigeria.
READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests convicted cocaine trafficker who changed name, resumed trafficking
“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,” Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier general, said.
He stressed that the agency would continue to pursue suspects involved in drug trafficking regardless of where they fled.
“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,” he said.
Mr Marwa described Mr Ibewuike as someone who had spent more than two years “hiding under a change of name and a new life abroad” before being brought back to Nigeria.
He also commended the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus in Nigeria and Benin for their role in securing the suspect’s handover.
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