The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has uncovered and dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in the Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.
In a statement Sunday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said operatives recovered 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with large quantities of precursor chemicals and production equipment during the operation carried out Feb. 25, 2026.
Babafemi said the facility was used for the production of illicit drugs and has since been dismantled.
In a related development, the agency announced the arrest of a wanted drug suspect, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been in hiding for 13 years over alleged involvement in cocaine and heroin trafficking.
According to the statement, 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 failed to appear in court.
His name resurfaced in February 2024 in connection with the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa, which was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
A follow-up operation on Feb. 19, 2024, at a hotel in Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from an associate, Babafemi said. The agency also obtained an interim forfeiture order on properties linked to him and froze associated bank accounts.
Babafemi said Chidiebere surrendered to authorities on Feb. 13, 2026, after years in hiding and is now in custody to face pending and new charges related to the drug trafficking cases.
