Ex-footballer, four others arrested as NDLEA busts Turkey-Nigeria drug ring

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an ex-international football player, Segun George Hunkarin, along with his business partner Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, over an attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,(MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.

Chinedu, a frequent flyer known for transporting 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.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said, “A search of his carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams 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 carpark to collect the consignment from him.

“Hunkarin, who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs, was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

“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.

“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 to 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 an 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 had arrived from São Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a plastic container marked “YPE” with liquid soap 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, São Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased the substance while shopping for his wedding 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 the Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state.

Several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size were recovered from her.

The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, and social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Some of them include: the WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Yakubawa Model Primary School, Zango, Katsina; Police Secondary School, Igboora, Oyo; Divine Favour International Group of Schools, Bende LGA, Abia; Command Day Secondary School, Ojoo, Ibadan; Mater Dei College, Udi, Enugu; Community Girls Secondary School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa; and Fiyinfolu High School, Ikole Ekiti, among others.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) commended the officers and men of the MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures made over the past week.

He equally praised their counterparts in all commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their efforts to reduce drug supply and reduce drug demand.