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Operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have apprehended a 59-year-old international drug kingpin, Ogbonnaya Jeff, at his hideout in the Ojo suburb of Lagos after evading law enforcement for 17 years.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) said that the agency’s Special Operations Unit had been monitoring Ogbonnaya following an Interpol Red Notice issued against him and information received from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.
“On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, we arrested Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old drug baron. The suspect was apprehended at his hideout at No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road, Lagos. He had been under NDLEA investigation before his arrest. As a result, we have comprehensive intelligence on his activities and incontrovertible facts confirming that he is a notorious drug lord who recruited young Nigerians as couriers to smuggle illicit substances into the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
He noted that the agency had accumulated undeniable evidence of Ogbonnaya’s operations, including his recruitment of young Nigerians to serve as drug couriers smuggling illegal substances into the Republic of Korea.
“Our records reveal that many Nigerians apprehended outside the country for drug-related offences were linked to him. Furthermore, we have established that he laundered drug proceeds through the importation of electronics and other goods. Following his arrest, a search of his residence led to the recovery of multiple Nigerian international passports belonging to different individuals, many of which contained Korean visas. Additionally, we recovered some illicit substances stored at the back of his house.”
Marwa said Ogbonnaya had previously completed a one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 before being deported back to Nigeria in 2008. However, he returned to his illegal activities, organising drug shipments to the Far East.
He reiterated the NDLEA’s dedication to ensuring that Nigeria is not a hub for international drug trafficking activities.
