Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 59-year-old international drug baron, Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, in Lagos after 17 years of evading authorities.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), announced the arrest on Monday, stating that Ogbonnaya was apprehended at his hideout in the Ojo area of Lagos following an Interpol Red Notice and intelligence from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.
Marwa said Ogbonnaya, a notorious drug lord, recruited young Nigerians as couriers to smuggle illicit substances into South Korea.
He had previously served a one-year prison term in South Korea in 2007 before being deported to Nigeria in 2008. Despite this, he resumed his illicit operations, orchestrating drug shipments to the Far East.
The NDLEA recovered multiple Nigerian international passports, Korean visas, and illicit substances from Ogbonnaya’s residence.
Ogbonnaya is currently wanted in South Korea for multiple drug trafficking offenses and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria does not serve as a base for international drug trafficking operations.
