The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has received commendation from the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea (NIS) for its exceptional efforts in apprehending a wanted drug baron.
This development highlights the agency’s growing success in its war against drug trafficking, thanks to its enhanced strategies and international collaborations.
Persecondnews recalls that the NDLEA has been working closely with international agencies to curb drug trafficking, as evident from the Korean NIS’s recognition.
Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old drug baron who had been evading authorities to facilitate shipments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira globally, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in Lagos in February.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said in a statement sent to Persecondnews on Wednesday that the suspect had for years been a thorn in the flesh of the Korean authorities following the persistent shipment of illicit drugs linked to him to South Korea.
As a result, an Interpol red notice was issued against him, while the NIS of South Korea sought the help of NDLEA in tracking and arresting him.
Ogbonnaya had previously served a one-year prison sentence in South Korea in 2007 for drug offenses before being deported to Nigeria in 2008, but his criminal activities persisted.
After years of pursuit, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit finally apprehended him on Wednesday, February 12, at his hideout located at No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road, Lagos.
Excited by the success, a delegation from the Korean Intelligence Service, on Wednesday, April 16, paid a courtesy visit to NDLEA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, to deliver a letter of appreciation from the Director of NIS, Cho Tae-yong.
In the letter, Cho thanked Marwa for his support and “the NDLEA’s exceptional cooperation during our recent joint operation, which led to the arrest of Kevin Jeff, a key figure in an international drug organization.”
According Cho, “Kevin Jeff was responsible for smuggling significant quantities of narcotics into the Republic of Korea, and the NIS had been tracking him for years.
“I am truly pleased that our two services have successfully carried out the first special cooperation, enabling us to bring him to justice.
Without the NDLEA’s invaluable cooperation, those long-standing efforts might have been in vain.
“Once again, I extend my deepest gratitude for the NDLEA’s exemplary service in this cooperation. Building on this significant achievement in our joint efforts against drug-related crimes, I look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.”
The NIS team, which included Messrs. Choi Younkwan and Kim Juseok, sought the extradition of Ogbonnaya to South Korea to face pending drug charges.
Responding, Marwa expressed appreciation for the Koreans’ commendation and assured them that the world can always count on Nigeria in the global effort against illicit drug trafficking.
He said: “We are delighted to partner with you and be of service to you because your Service has a long history of professionalism.
We want to give the assurance that at any time, you can count on us to work together with you towards a drug-free world.”
He appreciated the Korean government’s support in donating equipment to the Agency, saying “it will be of tremendous help to us as we continue to execute our job of keeping Nigeria and the world safe from drug traffickers.”
Marwa said he will study their request for extradition and work within the limits allowed by the Nigerian laws and the bilateral agreements between the two countries.
He expressed the hope that in the possibility of getting training opportunities for NDLEA officers in Korean Intelligence institution as part of the evolving partnership.
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