NDLEA Nabs Notorious Drug Baron After 17 Years on the Run

The NDLEA has arrested a notorious drug baron who evaded capture for 17 years. Read more on the major breakthrough in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking.

Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a notorious drug kingpin who had been on the run for 17 years to avoid arrest.

The Chairman of the agency, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, made the announcement on Monday at a press briefing in Abuja.

He disclosed that Jeff, a 59-year-old trafficker suspected of smuggling illicit drugs valued at billions of naira worldwide, was finally captured at his hideout in the Ojo area of Lagos.

NDLEA operatives, following an Interpol red notice and intelligence provided by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, had been tracking Jeff for years before they finally succeeded in capturing him.

The key development prompting this special briefing is the arrest of a notorious drug lord, sought globally as the head of an international drug trafficking organization.

I am delighted to share this major advancement in our mission to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates operating within the country. As we stated four years ago during the launch of NDLEA reforms, our primary focus is on targeting drug kingpins and key figures orchestrating these trafficking networks.

On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, we accomplished our goal with the successful arrest of Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old drug baron. The suspect was apprehended at his hideout located at No. 3 Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road in Lagos. Prior to his arrest, he had been under investigation by the NDLEA.

“As a result, we possess detailed intelligence about his activities and undeniable evidence that he is a notorious drug lord who enlisted young Nigerians as couriers to smuggle illegal substances into the Republic of Korea (South Korea),” Marwa stated.

He stated that NDLEA records showed a connection between Ogbonnaya and numerous Nigerians arrested abroad for drug-related offenses.

Marwa stated, “In addition, we have confirmed that he funneled drug money through the import of electronics and various other goods. After his arrest, a search of his home resulted in finding several Nigerian international passports issued to different people; many included Korean visas. We also discovered some illegal substances stored in a warehouse behind his residence.”

While revealing the suspect’s leadership position within the drug underworld, the NDLEA chief stated that Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff is not merely a typical domestic drug baron; he is an international trafficker operating from both Nigeria and abroad.

He stated that Jeff’s records show he served a one-year prison term in the Republic of Korea in 2007 and was deported to Nigeria in 2008. Despite this, Jeff persisted with his illegal activities, staying actively engaged in drug trafficking operations.

He stated, “Currently, he is sought in the Republic of Korea for several drug trafficking offenses committed alongside his accomplices. An INTERPOL Red Notice has been issued to facilitate his arrest and extradition to face charges for crimes carried out between 2023 and 2024.”

A series of interdictions has revealed that Ogbonnaya Kevin Ogbonnaya is the ringleader of a drug trafficking organization involved in smuggling narcotics into North Korea.

He has been coordinating operations from a distance by directing drug mules and domestic suppliers within his syndicate, which is spread across Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Liberia, and various other countries in East and Southern Africa.

Providing additional details about the investigation results, Marwa stated that on October 5, 2023, in a location in Burkina Faso, the suspect sent 6,051.06 grams of skunk hidden within dried chilies and jujube to a Korean individual named Kim Dong Wook at an address specified in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea.

The package was delivered to Incheon Airport on October 19, 2023, at 7:20 am by Air France. An investigation uncovered that while he was in Nigeria, he instructed his drug couriers, Santa Elizabeth Pieterse and Carl Yohan Stephan Brisman, to illegally transport a total of five kilograms of methamphetamine into South Korea using international flights between December 2023 and April 2024.

Recently, he has dispatched illicit drugs valued at over N1.4 billion to South Korea. Ogbonnoya employs another local courier known as “Asa,” who transports drug shipments to a warehouse managed by Okori Emmanuel, his supply manager in South Korea. Currently, the Seoul Central District Court has issued two arrest warrants for Ogbonnaya in January and June 2024.

“The NDLEA chief stated that these warrants accuse him of importing narcotic drugs, which violates Article 3-7 of South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act. This offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.”

Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA’s dedication to preventing Nigeria from becoming a hub for international drug trafficking activities.

We will persist in our unwavering battle against illegal drug networks and their financiers, consistent with our mission to protect public health and national security.

“The arrest of Ogbonnaya underscores our commitment to collaborating with international partners to ensure that no drug baron can use Nigeria as a safe haven for distributing illicit substances domestically or trafficking them internationally,” he stated.