NDLEA UNCOVERS METH LAB IN IMO, ARRESTS WANTED DRUG KINGPIN
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, recovering 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the laboratory was uncovered and dismantled on February 25, 2026.
According to the statement, operatives recovered large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of the illicit substance during the operation.
In a related development, the NDLEA also confirmed the arrest of a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been in hiding for 13 years over alleged involvement in cocaine and heroin trafficking.
Babafemi said Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 for importing cocaine into Nigeria and was arraigned before the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lagos. He was granted bail by Justice Ayokunle Faji but later absconded.
His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the alleged masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. A follow-up operation at his Lagos hotel on February 19, 2024, led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from an associate.
The agency subsequently obtained an interim forfeiture order on his property and froze bank accounts linked to him.
“Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on February 13, 2026. He is currently in custody to face his pending charges for which he jumped bail in 2013, as well as fresh charges linked to the 2024 heroin consignments,” the statement added.
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