NDLEA Drug Trafficking Arrests: Former Footballer and Others Caught in Major June Busts

Nigeria’s anti-drug agency, NDLEA, has made a string of high-profile arrests, including a former international football player, foreign nationals, and local traffickers, in a sweeping crackdown on drug smuggling operations across the country.

Ex-Footballer and Business Partner Caught with Cocaine

On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, NDLEA agents at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, arrested Segun George Hunkarin, a former Brazilian-based footballer, and his business associate, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.

According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy:

  • Chinedu, a frequent flyer who imports clothing and exports food between Turkey and Nigeria, was stopped at the airport

  • 37 wraps of cocaine, weighing 800 grams, were discovered hidden in his carry-on

  • He had flown in from Turkey via Ethiopian Airlines, with a stopover in Addis Ababa to collect the drugs

Further investigation led to Hunkarin, who was waiting in the airport parking lot to receive the package.
He confessed to two prior drug trafficking runs from Brazil to Ethiopia, but claimed this was his first attempt involving Nigeria.

Tramadol Disguised as Malaria Drugs

On Friday, June 27, NDLEA operatives arrested Amen Okoro Godstime, a European businessman, at the same Lagos airport.

  • He was caught attempting to smuggle 5,000 pills of Tramadol (225mg) disguised as malaria medications

  • The pills were hidden in packaging labeled Lonart, Amatem, and Aluktem

  • He admitted plans to travel by rail from Spain to France, and eventually distribute the pills in Italy

More Seizures at Enugu International Airport

Still on June 27, NDLEA agents at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, intercepted:

  1. Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel, a 38-year-old bartender from Mozambique, who had:

    • 3.05 kg of cocaine

    • 17.5 kg of methamphetamine

    • The drugs were concealed in bed linens inside his suitcase

  2. Azu Follygan Kpodar, a 54-year-old toy vendor from São Paulo, Brazil, who had:

    • 1.25 kg of liquid cocaine disguised as liquid soap

    • He claimed to be in Nigeria, preparing for his wedding

At Seme Border in Badagry, NDLEA agents arrested 26-year-old Vode Jean-Luck, a Beninese national, while he attempted to smuggle:

  • 69 balls of skunk (a potent cannabis strain)

  • Total weight: 29.5 kg

Local Arrests in Kwara and Delta States

  • In Kwara State, a notorious drug dealer known as Mary Bolanle Oladele, aka Iya Nafi, was arrested in Omu-Aran on Wednesday, June 25. Officers recovered Tramadol, Flunitrazepam, and skunk in various quantities.

  • In Warri, Delta State, NDLEA detained 72-year-old Mrs. Christy Ejaro on June 24.

    • Small, retail-sized sachets of skunk were found in her possession during a raid in the Niger CAT neighborhood.

A Message From NDLEA

These coordinated operations underscore the agency’s ongoing efforts to curb international and local drug trafficking. From border towns to major airports, NDLEA remains committed to dismantling smuggling networks and holding traffickers accountable.

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