A former Nigerian football player, Segun Hunkarin, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
According to a press statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, director of media and advocacy for the NDLEA, Hunkarin was arrested alongside his alleged accomplice, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, a businessman known for frequent trips between Turkey and Nigeria.
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Mr Chinedu was the first to be apprehended on Tuesday, 24 June, upon his arrival at MMIA from Turkey via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A search of his carry-on bag led to the discovery of 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams, carefully concealed within the luggage.
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“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,” the statement said.
The NDLEA disclosed that Mr Chinedu was not working alone. Further intelligence revealed that a second man was waiting to receive the consignment at the airport car park. That man was later identified as Mr Hunkarin, who was promptly tracked and arrested by operatives.
The former footballer, who reportedly spent several years playing professionally in Brazil, admitted during interrogation that he had been involved in drug trafficking in the past.
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“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 had never brought any to Nigeria,” Mr Babafemi revealed.
Other arrests in nationwide crackdown
While the arrest of Hunkarin drew widespread attention due to his sports background, NDLEA’s operations for the week extended beyond MMIA.
According to Sunday’s press statement, other arrests were made nationwide at major airports and border points.
On Friday, 27 June, another Europe-based businessman, Amen Okoro Godstime, was intercepted at MMIA while attempting to smuggle 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed as common malaria drugs like Lonart and Amatem. The suspect planned to export the drugs to Spain and eventually to Italy.
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At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu, NDLEA operatives intercepted Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel, a bar attendant based in Mozambique. His luggage contained 17.5kg of methamphetamine and 3.05kg of cocaine, all hidden in bedsheets. On the same flight, a second suspect, Azu Follygan Kpodar, was arrested with 1.25kg of liquid cocaine concealed in a soap container.
Further arrests included a 26-year-old Beninese national, Vode Jean-Luck, at the Seme border with 29.5kg of cannabis; a notorious dealer, Mary Bolanle Oladele, in Kwara State; and a 72-year-old grandmother, Christy Ejaro, in Warri, Delta State.
The NDLEA’s latest crackdown comes amid growing concerns over the involvement of Nigerian professionals and returnees in international drug trafficking, further highlighting the agency’s call for vigilance and stronger public cooperation.
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