NDLEA NABS NOTORIOUS INTERNATIONAL DRUG BARON AFTER 17-YEARS MANHUNT
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have finally apprehended 59-year-old Ogbonnaya Jeff, a wanted international drug baron, after a 17-year-long manhunt. The arrest was made at his hideout in the Ojo area of Lagos, marking a significant breakthrough in the fight against global drug trafficking.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), revealed that the agency’s Special Operations Unit had been tracking Ogbonnaya following an Interpol Red Notice and intelligence provided by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
Marwa disclosed that Ogbonnaya, a key figure in an international drug trafficking syndicate, had been recruiting young Nigerians as drug couriers to smuggle illicit substances into South Korea. “We have incontrovertible evidence of his activities, including his role in orchestrating drug shipments to the Far East,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA boss further explained that Ogbonnaya had previously served a one-year prison term in South Korea in 2007 before being deported to Nigeria in 2008. However, he resumed his illicit operations, expanding his network across multiple African countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia.
During a search of Ogbonnaya’s residence, operatives recovered multiple Nigerian international passports belonging to different individuals, many of which contained Korean visas, as well as illicit substances stored at the back of his house.
Marwa highlighted that Ogbonnaya’s syndicate had been responsible for smuggling narcotics worth over N1.4 billion into South Korea between December 2023 and April 2024 alone. Two arrest warrants have been issued against him by the Seoul Central District Court, charging him with violations of South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, an offence punishable by life imprisonment.
“This arrest underscores NDLEA’s commitment to ensuring Nigeria does not become a haven for international drug trafficking,” Marwa reaffirmed. “We will continue to work with global partners to dismantle such networks and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Ogbonnaya’s arrest is a major victory in the ongoing battle against transnational drug cartels, sending a clear message that no one is beyond the reach of the law.
