The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 59-year-old Ogbonnaya Jeff, a wanted international drug trafficker, in his hideout in the Ojo area of Lagos.
Ogbonnaya had been evading arrest for 17 years. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), revealed that the agency tracked him through an Interpol Red Notice and intelligence from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
Investigations showed that Ogbonnaya recruited young Nigerians to smuggle drugs into South Korea.
He was also linked to several Nigerians arrested abroad for drug-related offences. The NDLEA found multiple Nigerian passports with Korean visas and illicit drugs at his residence.
Ogbonnaya had previously served a one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 before being deported in 2008.
However, he resumed his illegal drug operations, orchestrating shipments to the Far East. South Korean authorities have since issued two arrest warrants against him for drug trafficking offences committed between 2023 and 2024.
Marwa confirmed that Ogbonnaya’s operations extended beyond Nigeria, with connections in Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, and other African countries. His shipments, worth over ₦1.4 billion, were sent to South Korea disguised as food items.
The NDLEA assured Nigerians of its commitment to preventing the country from becoming a hub for international drug trafficking.
