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.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in production, were recovered during the operation conducted on February 25, 2026.
In a related development, NDLEA announced the arrest of wanted drug kingpin Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been in hiding for 13 years over alleged cocaine and heroin trafficking. Chidiebere was initially arrested in 2013 for importing cocaine and arraigned before the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lagos. He was granted bail by Justice Ayokunle Faji but subsequently failed to appear in court and disappeared.
His name resurfaced in February 2024 as a suspected mastermind behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, intercepted by NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. A follow-up operation on February 19, 2024, at his Lagos hotel led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from one of his associates. The agency subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on his property and froze linked bank accounts.
Unable to remain in hiding, Chidiebere surrendered to the agency on February 13, 2026. He is now in custody to face pending charges from 2013, as well as new charges related to the 2024 heroin consignments.
The NDLEA stated that the arrests and laboratory dismantling underscore the agency’s continued commitment to combating drug trafficking and curbing the operations of wanted criminals across Nigeria.
