The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of the Republic of Korea has lauded Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the successful arrest of a notorious drug trafficker, Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, ending a 17-year manhunt for the fugitive linked to international narcotics trafficking.
The 59-year-old Jeff, who had been on Interpol’s red notice list, was apprehended on February 12, 2025, by operatives of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit at his hideout in Lagos.
He was wanted by South Korean authorities for repeatedly smuggling large quantities of illicit drugs into the country. Jeff previously served a one-year sentence in South Korea for drug offences in 2007 before being deported to Nigeria in 2008.
A high-level delegation from the Korean Intelligence Service, led by Messrs Choi Younkwan and Kim Juseok, visited the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), on Wednesday, April 16, to express appreciation and formally request the extradition of the suspect to face pending charges in South Korea.
In a letter delivered by the delegation, the Director of the Korean NIS, Taeyong Cho, commended the NDLEA for its “exceptional cooperation” and professionalism during the operation that led to Jeff’s arrest.
“Kevin Jeff was a key figure in an international drug trafficking network responsible for smuggling significant quantities of narcotics into South Korea. Without the NDLEA’s invaluable collaboration, our long-standing efforts might have gone unrewarded,” Cho stated.
Brig Gen Marwa, in his response, welcomed the commendation and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to global anti-narcotics efforts.
“We are proud to collaborate with the Korean Intelligence Service. You can always count on us to support the fight against illicit drug trafficking anywhere in the world,” Marwa said.
He also expressed gratitude to the Korean government for its donation of equipment to aid NDLEA’s operations and hinted at the possibility of further cooperation, including training opportunities for NDLEA personnel in South Korea.
On the extradition request, Marwa assured the Korean delegation that the agency would review the matter in line with Nigerian laws and existing bilateral agreements between the two nations.
The arrest and ongoing collaboration mark a significant milestone in transnational efforts to dismantle global drug trafficking networks.