The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recently made a series of arrests of drug traffickers, including a former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin.
The NDLEA arrested Hunkarin, who plays professional football in Brazil, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, alongside his business partner, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu.
According to a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, the director, media and advocacy of the NDLEA, earlier today, June 28, the operatives of the agency arrested Hunkarin and his partner while attempting to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.
“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”, the statement from the NDLEA reads.
“A search of his carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams were concealed therein.
“Investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on an 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 for 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.”
Tramadol Smuggler Arrested In Lagos
Aside from the arrest of the footballer, the NDLEA also announced that a Europe-based businessman, Amen Okoro Godstime, was arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday, June 27.
The operatives of the agency arrested Godstime 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”, the agency said.
“Okoro, who is into the freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would travel via a train to France, where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.”
More so, the NDLEA arrested Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel, a Maputo, Mozambique-based bar attendant at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, on Friday, June 27.
“A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard-sized parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilograms and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.050 kilograms”, a statement from the agency reads.
“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 for 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.”
NDLEA Arrests Drug Traffickers at Seme border
Furthermore, the NDLEA operatives arrested 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 the Benin Republic into Nigeria.
The arrest was made at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos on Tuesday, June 24.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA arrested a suspected drug dealer, Mary Bolanle Oladele, at her home in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Wednesday, June 25.
During the arrest of Oladele who is also known as Iya Nafi, the NDLEA operatives recovered from her various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam.
72-year-old Grandma
Also, the NDLEA has announced the arrest of a 72-year-old woman, Mrs. Christy Ejaro. The said person who the agency described as a “grandma” was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state.
During the arrest, the operatives recovered from her several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size.