The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a former Nigerian international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, alongside four other suspects, over attempts to smuggle a combined 22.6 kilograms of hard drugs through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
Hunkarin was apprehended in Lagos following the arrest of his associate, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, who was caught attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.
Chinedu, known for his frequent travel between Nigeria and Turkey as a trader dealing in clothes and food items, arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Turkey. A routine search of his luggage revealed 37 wraps of cocaine, weighing 800 grams, concealed inside.
According to the NDLEA, investigations showed that Chinedu picked up the illicit consignment during a layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Further surveillance and intelligence operations led to the arrest of Hunkarin, who was waiting in a vehicle at the airport car park to collect the package.
During interrogation, Hunkarin admitted to having trafficked drugs twice in the past, both times from Brazil to Ethiopia. However, he claimed this was his first attempt to bring narcotics into Nigeria.
The NDLEA disclosed that these arrests are part of a larger anti-narcotics crackdown at major entry points, which has resulted in the interception of over 22.6 kilograms of illicit drugs at the Lagos and Enugu airports. Investigations into the broader drug trafficking network are ongoing.
