NDLEA Arrests Fugitive Festus Ibewuike Over Heroin Case

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the arrest of 52-year-old Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, for his alleged involvement in a 49.70-kilogramme heroin consignment intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in February 2024. Ibewuike was apprehended at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026, after over two years of efforts to locate him.

He was handed over to NDLEA operatives on September 4, following collaboration with INTERPOL. The heroin seizure was the largest recorded at the airport, concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines.

The investigation led to the arrest of several suspects, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike. The NDLEA froze 107 bank accounts and forfeited properties linked to the trafficking network.

Several suspects were arraigned, with three convicted and sentenced. Ibewuike had reportedly relocated to Mozambique to evade law enforcement and was charged in absentia.