NDLEA Arrests Ex-Footballer Segun , Four Others Over 22.6kg Drugs Seized At Lagos, Enugu Airports

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested former international footballer Segun George Hunkarin and four others in connection with a total drug seizure of 22.6kg at the Lagos and Enugu airports.

Hunkarin was apprehended alongside his business associate, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, after an attempt to smuggle cocaine through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Chinedu, known for frequently traveling between Turkey and Nigeria transporting clothes and food items, was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, upon arrival from Turkey via Ethiopian Airlines. A search of his hand luggage revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams hidden inside.

Investigations revealed that Chinedu had picked up the illicit package during a layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before continuing to Nigeria. Further surveillance led to the arrest of Segun Hunkarin, who was found waiting at the airport car park to receive the consignment.

Hunkarin, who previously played professional football in Brazil, confessed to NDLEA officials that he had trafficked drugs twice in the past—from Brazil to Ethiopia but insisted he had never smuggled narcotics into Nigeria until now.

The NDLEA confirmed that the arrests are part of a broader operation that led to the seizure of 22.6 kilograms of illicit drugs at both Lagos and Enugu airports, with investigations still ongoing.