KINGSLEY EBERE
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an ex-international football player, Segun George Hunkarin alongside his businessman partner, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, with substance suspected to be cocaine smuggled into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,(MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, 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 on Tuesday 24th June, 2025.
During routine searching on his carry-on bag, it revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams which were concealed therein.
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.
This was disclosed by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, who confirmed their arrest and detention while they are undergoing interrogation over their alleged conduct.
He explained that in a 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.
Babafemi also revealed that it was not only the suspects that the operatives arrested at the Airport .
He stated: “Another Europe based businessman, Amen Okoro Godstime, was on Friday 27th 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 enter a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, NDLEA operatives on Friday 27th 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 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.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos on Tuesday 24th June intercepted a 26-year old Beninese, Vode Jean-Luck, while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5kg, from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
In Kwara State, a notorious drug dealer, Mary Bolanle Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi), was arrested on Wednesday 25th June when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area, where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.
A 72-year old grandma, Mrs. Christy Ejaro, was on Tuesday 24th June arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger Cat area of Warri, Delta State. Several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size were recovered from her.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.