NDLEA Nabs International Drug Baron Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff After 17 Years Hunt
NDLEA Nabs International Drug Baron Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff After 17 Years Hunt
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully apprehended 59-year-old drug kingpin Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, ending his 17-year reign as a global drug trafficker.
The arrest, made at his hideout in the Ojo area of Lagos, marks a significant victory in the fight against international drug syndicates.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), revealed the details during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, 3rd March 2025.
He explained that the agency’s Special Operations Unit had been tracking Ogbonnaya following an Interpol Red Notice and intelligence provided by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
Marwa stated, “This arrest is a major milestone in our mission to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria. Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a notorious international drug lord, was captured on Wednesday, 12th February 2025, at his residence on No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road, Lagos.
He has long been under NDLEA surveillance, and we have gathered substantial evidence linking him to the recruitment of young Nigerians as drug couriers, particularly for smuggling illicit substances into South Korea.”
The NDLEA boss further disclosed that Ogbonnaya’s operations extended beyond Nigeria, with ties to drug trafficking networks across Africa and Asia.
“He is not just a domestic drug baron but an international trafficker with a history of criminal activities. After serving a one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 and being deported in 2008, he continued his illicit trade, orchestrating drug shipments to the Far East,” Marwa added.
Investigations revealed that Ogbonnaya laundered drug proceeds through the importation of electronics and other goods. A search of his residence uncovered multiple Nigerian passports belonging to different individuals, many bearing Korean visas, as well as illicit substances stored in a warehouse behind his house.
Marwa detailed one of Ogbonnaya’s major operations: “On 5th October 2023, he dispatched 6,051.06 grams of skunk, concealed in dried chillies and jujube, to South Korea. The shipment, destined for Kim Dong Wook in Jinju City, arrived at Incheon Airport on 19th October 2023. Between December 2023 and April 2024, he also directed his couriers to smuggle five kilograms of methamphetamine into South Korea, with drugs worth over N1.4 billion sent to the country in recent times alone.”
Ogbonnaya’s network included domestic and international accomplices, such as “Asa,” a local carrier, and Okori Emmanuel, his supply manager in South Korea.
The Seoul Central District Court has issued two arrest warrants against him in 2024 for violating South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, an offence punishable by life imprisonment.
Marwa reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking, stating, “We will continue to work with international partners to ensure Nigeria is not a safe haven for drug barons. This arrest underscores our determination to protect public health and national security by dismantling illicit drug networks and their financiers.”
About The Author
