JUST IN: NDLEA Arrests Ex-International Footballer, Associate Over Cocaine Smuggling Plot at Lagos Airport

Lagos, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, and a suspected drug trafficker, Ntoruka Chinedu, over an attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to an official statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, Chinedu was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, shortly after disembarking from an Ethiopian Airlines flight originating from Turkey with a stopover in Addis Ababa.

Babafemi revealed that during a routine search at the airport’s arrival hall, operatives found 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes hidden inside Chinedu’s hand luggage. Preliminary investigations indicate that the illicit consignment was picked up in Ethiopia, with Nigeria as its final destination.

Further probing led to the arrest of Segun George Hunkarin, described as Chinedu’s associate and a former professional footballer who once played in Brazil. The NDLEA believes Hunkarin played a key role in coordinating the trafficking attempt and may be part of a wider drug network exploiting returning travelers to smuggle narcotics.

The agency is currently investigating the suspects’ network and exploring international links, particularly in South America, where Hunkarin is believed to have had extensive contacts during his footballing years.

Ongoing Crackdown: The NDLEA has intensified its operations at Nigeria’s international borders and airports in recent months, responding to what officials describe as a resurgence in drug trafficking activities, particularly via West Africa as a transit route for South American drugs bound for Europe and Asia.

“This arrest underscores our continued vigilance at Nigeria’s entry points,” Babafemi said. “We will not rest until every individual and syndicate involved in the trafficking of illicit substances is brought to justice.”

Both suspects remain in custody and are expected to face charges in accordance with Nigeria’s Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act.

More details to follow as investigations continue.