NDLEA Busts International Drug Ring, Arrests 17-Year Fugitive

In a major victory for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old international drug baron, after a 17-year manhunt.

Jeff, who was on Interpol’s red notice and had been under investigation by the NDLEA, was arrested at his Lagos residence on February 12th, 2025.

Announcing the arrest at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) described Jeff as the leader of a vast international drug trafficking organisation responsible for smuggling billions of Naira worth of illicit drugs worldwide.

The operation followed intelligence gathered from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea and an Interpol red notice.

“This significant breakthrough demonstrates our commitment to dismantling drug trafficking syndicates operating within and outside Nigeria,” Marwa stated.

He highlighted Jeff’s history, including a prior one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 followed by deportation, and his continued involvement in trafficking to the Far East.

The NDLEA’s investigation revealed Jeff’s sophisticated operation, which involved recruiting Nigerian couriers to smuggle drugs, primarily to South Korea.

His methods included concealing drugs within dried chillies and jujubes, utilizing various flight routes, and laundering drug proceeds through the importation of electronics.

Among the evidence seized were multiple Nigerian international passports with Korean visas and illicit substances found in a storehouse behind his residence.

The NDLEA has linked Jeff to numerous Nigerians arrested abroad for drug-related offenses. A recent shipment intercepted in Burkina Faso contained over 6,000 grams of skunk destined for South Korea, while separate shipments of methamphetamine totaling five kilograms were also traced to him.

The total street value of illicit drugs Jeff trafficked to South Korea recently is estimated at over N1.4 billion.

Two arrest warrants have already been issued against him by the Seoul Central District Court for violating South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, an offence carrying a life sentence.

Jeff’s network extends across several African countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia, with individuals acting as couriers and suppliers.

Marwa emphasized the NDLEA’s determination to prevent Nigeria from being used as a base for international drug trafficking.

“We will continue our relentless efforts to work with our international partners to ensure no drug baron finds sanctuary in Nigeria,” he declared.

The arrest of Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff marks a significant blow to international drug trafficking and underscores the NDLEA’s strengthened commitment to tackling the problem.