The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-international football player identified as Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu over attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.
The suspects were apprehended at different locations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
This was contained in a statement made available to Thelensng by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
Babafemi noted that Chinedu, who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport.
A search of his carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams were concealed therein.
According to the NDLEA, investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.
Further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport car park to collect the consignment from him.
Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the car park.
In his statement, Hunkarin claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Similarly, another Europe based businessman, Amen Okoro Godstime was on Friday 27th of June arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.
He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.
Okoro who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would take a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
Meanwhile, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, NDLEA operatives on Friday 27th of June intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant, Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel.
A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilograms and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.050 kilograms.
The 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.
Another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Follygan Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage.
The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.
The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250kg. The suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased the substance while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.
