The suspect Festus Ibewuike. Photo credit: NDLEA
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested and brought back to Nigeria the suspected kingpin behind the 49.70kg heroin shipment intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2024.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The suspect, 52-year-old Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, was “arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic on Wednesday 2nd September 2026” after actionable intelligence led security operatives to him.
The arrest ended Ibewuike’s attempt to evade the authorities by moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through Benin Republic. The NDLEA said he had relocated to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business as a front.
