Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, within Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.

The agency said 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered during the raid, alongside large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in manufacturing the illicit drug.

The operation, carried out on February 25, 2026, was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to Babafemi, the laboratory was fully dismantled by operatives who acted on intelligence.

“The NDLEA operatives in Imo State on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, dismantled a clandestine laboratory located at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area, where 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered alongside large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of the illicit substance,” the statement read.

Arrest of drug kingpin after 13 years in hiding

In a related development, the agency announced the arrest of a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been on the run for 13 years over alleged involvement in cocaine and heroin trafficking.

Babafemi said Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013 for importing cocaine into Nigeria. He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos and granted bail by Justice Ayokunle Faji. However, he later failed to appear in court and disappeared.

His name resurfaced in February 2024 as one of the alleged masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa.

The shipment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

A follow-up operation conducted on February 19, 2024, at his hotel in Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from one of his associates. The agency thereafter secured an interim forfeiture order on the property and froze bank accounts linked to him.

Suspect surrenders, faces fresh charges

According to the NDLEA, mounting pressure from the agency’s investigations eventually forced Chidiebere out of hiding.

“Following these developments, Chidiebere could no longer sustain himself in hiding, prompting his surrender to the agency on February 13, 2026,” the statement said.

The agency confirmed that he is currently in custody and will face pending charges for jumping bail in 2013, as well as fresh charges related to the 2024 heroin consignments.

The NDLEA said investigations are ongoing as it continues efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the country.