The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), arrested Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a suspected drug baron, at his hideout in Lagos.
His capture follows a 17-year pursuit, during which he was allegedly involved in trafficking illicit drugs worth billions of naira across the globe.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest, stating that the 59-year-old Jeff had evaded capture for years while operating a vast international drug trafficking network.
The agency’s Chairman/CEO, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), announced the arrest at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Marwa highlighted that Jeff’s arrest followed an Interpol Red Notice and valuable intelligence from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.
He detailed how NDLEA operatives, particularly from the Special Operations Unit, had been tracking the suspect for years.
“This major development, which I am pleased to announce, relates to the arrest of a drug lord who is wanted worldwide as the leader of an international drug trafficking syndicate,” Marwa said.
“As we stated when we began reforming the NDLEA four years ago, our primary targets are drug barons and key figures organizing drug trafficking operations,” he continued.
The NDLEA Chairman explained that Jeff’s arrest occurred on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at his residence located at No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road, Lagos.
Marwa revealed that the agency had been investigating Jeff for some time and had gathered comprehensive intelligence regarding his role in recruiting young Nigerians as couriers to smuggle drugs into South Korea.
Marwa further disclosed that many Nigerians arrested abroad for drug-related offenses were linked to Jeff, who allegedly laundered proceeds through importing electronics and other goods.
A search of his residence uncovered multiple Nigerian passports with Korean visas, along with illicit substances stored in a warehouse behind his house.
Marwa underscored Jeff’s significant role in international drug trafficking, stating, “Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff is not a typical domestic drug baron; he operates internationally, both from Nigeria and abroad.
His dossier reveals that he served a one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 for drug trafficking and was deported to Nigeria in 2008.
Despite this, he continued his operations, trafficking drugs to the Far East.”
He added that Jeff is currently wanted in South Korea for drug trafficking offenses committed in 2023 and 2024, and a Red Notice had been issued for his arrest and extradition.
Marwa further explained that Jeff had orchestrated drug shipments remotely, directing couriers and suppliers in countries including Cameroon, Ghana, and Liberia.
The NDLEA also uncovered details of Jeff’s drug operations.
Marwa outlined how, on October 5, 2023, Jeff dispatched over 6 kilograms of skunk concealed in dried chillies to South Korea, a shipment that arrived at Incheon Airport in October.
He also directed two couriers to smuggle methamphetamine into South Korea between December 2023 and April 2024, with drugs valued at over N1.4 billion.
The NDLEA revealed that Jeff’s network extends to a domestic carrier, known as “Asa,” who delivered drug consignments to a warehouse operated by Okori Emmanuel in South Korea.
Marwa confirmed that two arrest warrants had been issued against Jeff by South Korea’s Seoul Central District Court for drug trafficking charges, with penalties that could lead to a life sentence.
In closing, Marwa reiterated the NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and ensuring that Nigeria does not serve as a hub for international narcotics operations.
“We will continue our relentless fight against illicit drug networks and their financiers, working closely with our international partners to prevent Nigeria from being a base for distributing or trafficking illegal drugs,” Marwa concluded.
