The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested former international footballer Segun George Hunkarin and his associate Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu in connection with an attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Chinedu, a frequent traveller known for shuttling between Turkey and Nigeria, was caught on June 24, 2025, with 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams hidden in his carry-on luggage. He was arriving from Turkey via Addis Ababa when NDLEA operatives intercepted him. Further investigation led to the arrest of Hunkarin, who was waiting at the airport car park to receive the illicit consignment.
Hunkarin, who previously played professional football in Brazil, admitted to transporting drugs from Brazil to Ethiopia twice in the past but claimed he had never trafficked drugs into Nigeria.
In a related incident, NDLEA officers arrested Amen Okoro Godstime at the Lagos airport on June 27 as he attempted to smuggle 5,000 tramadol 225mg pills disguised as malaria medications to Spain. Okoro, a logistics businessman, said the drugs were intended for resale in Italy after a stop in France.
Meanwhile, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the agency intercepted Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel, a 38-year-old bar worker based in Mozambique, who arrived from South Africa with over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine concealed in bedsheets.
Another passenger on the same flight, 54-year-old Azu Follygan Kpodar, was arrested with 1.25 kilograms of liquid cocaine hidden in a soap container. Kpodar claimed he bought the substance while shopping for his wedding in Nigeria.
In separate operations, the NDLEA arrested a 26-year-old Beninese man, Vode Jean-Luck, at the Seme border with 29.5 kilograms of cannabis. In Kwara State, notorious dealer Mary Bolanle Oladele, known as “Iya Nafi,” was apprehended with assorted drugs. A 72-year-old grandmother, Christy Ejaro, was also arrested in Delta State with sachets of cannabis.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across several states, conducting sensitisation programs in schools across Katsina, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Bayelsa, and Ekiti states.
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended the agency’s personnel for their commitment to intercepting drug traffickers and reducing both drug supply and demand nationwide.
What you should know
Former Nigerian footballer Segun George Hunkarin was arrested alongside others for attempting to traffic cocaine through Lagos airport. NDLEA also intercepted drug consignments in Enugu, Warri, and Kwara, underlining the agency’s continued crackdown on drug trafficking across Nigeria.
