Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State. During the operation, officials recovered 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with significant quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of the illegal drug.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, who noted that the laboratory was dismantled on February 25, 2026.
In addition, the NDLEA announced the arrest of Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a wanted drug kingpin who had been on the run for 13 years due to his alleged involvement in cocaine and heroin trafficking. Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 for importing cocaine into Nigeria and was later arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos. He was granted bail by Justice Ayokunle Faji but subsequently absconded and failed to appear in court.
The statement further disclosed that Chidiebere’s name resurfaced in February 2024, when he was identified as one of the masterminds behind an attempt to import 49.7 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, which was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. A follow-up raid at his hotel in Lagos on February 19, 2024, led to the recovery of an additional 2.2 kilograms of heroin from an associate.
The agency subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on his property and froze related bank accounts. Unable to remain in hiding, Chidiebere surrendered to the NDLEA on February 13, 2026. He is currently in custody, facing outstanding charges related to his 2013 case as well as new charges stemming from the 2024 heroin seizures, the statement concluded.
