The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff a notorious drug kingpin, at his hideout in Ojo, Lagos ending his 17-year reign in the global drug trade.
NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), who announced the arrest in Abuja on March 3, 2025, said Ogbonnaya had been on Interpol’s red notice and was wanted in South Korea for multiple drug-related offenses. Investigations revealed he recruited young Nigerians as drug couriers and laundered proceeds through electronics imports.
A search of his residence uncovered Nigerian passports with Korean visas and illicit substances. Ogbonnaya had previously served one year in a South Korean prison in 2007 before being deported to Nigeria. Despite this, he continued running a transnational drug syndicate across Africa and Asia, shipping over N1.4 billion worth of narcotics to South Korea in recent years.
The Seoul Central District Court has issued two arrest warrants against him, with charges carrying a maximum life sentence. Marwa reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels, stating, No drug baron will find Nigeria a haven.”
