By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
A 17-YEAR manhunt for an international drug trafficker came to a dramatic end in Lagos, marking a breakthrough in global anti-narcotics collaboration.
This earned the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) high praise from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) after the arrest of Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old Nigerian kingpin accused of smuggling narcotics into Asia.
Ogbonnaya’s arrest followed nearly two decades of evasion after his deportation from South Korea in 2008.
Previously convicted and jailed for drug offences in Seoul, he had since operated a vast network that channelled illicit substances worth billions of naira across continents, leaving a trail of narcotics that stretched from Nigeria to the Korean Peninsula.
An Interpol red notice had long shadowed the suspect, whose drug pipeline placed him on South Korea’s most wanted list.
The breakthrough came on Wednesday, 12th February 2025, when NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit stormed a safehouse tucked away at No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road in Lagos.
There, Ogbonnaya was taken into custody, ending his long flight from justice.
On Wednesday, 16th April, senior officials from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service visited the NDLEA’s Abuja headquarters to formally commend the operation and convey a personal letter of gratitude from NIS Director, Taeyong Cho.
The letter acknowledged the NDLEA’s “exceptional cooperation” and described the arrest as a landmark moment in international drug enforcement.
“Without the NDLEA’s invaluable cooperation,” the letter read, “those long-standing efforts might have been in vain.”
The visiting Korean delegation, comprising Choi Younkwan and Kim Juseok, also presented an extradition request for Ogbonnaya to face outstanding drug charges in South Korea.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), welcomed the commendation and affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to global drug control efforts.
“At any time, you can count on us to work together with you towards a drug-free world,” he said.
He thanked the Korean government for donating operational equipment to the NDLEA, describing the support as timely and impactful.
Marwa also indicated the extradition request would be carefully reviewed under Nigeria’s legal framework and bilateral treaties.
He expressed hope that the renewed cooperation would open doors for NDLEA officers to access training opportunities within Korean intelligence institutions.
The arrest and ongoing extradition process underline an intensifying global push to dismantle the operational hubs of international drug cartels.
For the NDLEA, Marwa said the successful operation represents more than a single arrest—it signals Nigeria’s rising stature as a critical partner in the worldwide campaign against drug trafficking.
