Ibewuike was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Wednesday, September 2, following actionable intelligence and collaboration between the NDLEA and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
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He was subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives deployed to Cotonou on Friday, September 4, before being conveyed to Nigeria to face prosecution over his alleged role in the trafficking syndicate.
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The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, Ibewuike was one of three suspects declared wanted and charged in absentia following the seizure of 49.70kg of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in February 2024.
The seizure was described as the single largest heroin consignment ever intercepted at the airport.
The drugs were concealed in cartons of metal-cutting machines at the Import Shed of the airport’s cargo terminal during a 12-day operation conducted by operatives of the NDLEA’s MMIA Strategic Command.
The operation led to the arrest of several members of the alleged syndicate, including Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who the agency said routinely received drug-laden parcels marked with the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.
The NDLEA also froze 107 bank accounts and secured the forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the cartel.
Three suspects — Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline — have so far been convicted and sentenced by the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Three others — Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka Confidence and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene — are still standing trial.
Ibewuike, alongside Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze, was charged in absentia.
The agency said Ibewuike had relocated to Mozambique, where he allegedly operated a hotel business as a cover, while travelling between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic in an attempt to evade arrest.
During preliminary interviews following his repatriation, the 52-year-old suspect reportedly confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.
On Saturday, September 5, he was taken to the NDLEA’s Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified parcels of heroin bearing the “ND” code, which the agency said were linked to him.
Further investigation also linked Ibewuike to an earlier drug case involving the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.
The case, filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos under charge number FHC/L/203C/2013, involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was convicted by the court in 2023.
Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the development as a major breakthrough in the agency’s efforts to track down suspected drug kingpins who flee the country.
“This arrest is a major breakthrough in our resolve to track down and bring to justice every drug baron who thinks that fleeing Nigeria’s shores puts them beyond the reach of the law,” Marwa said
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