The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a former Nigerian footballer and four others at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 22.6 kilograms of cocaine out of the country.
An ex-international footballer Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu was arrested for attempting to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through Lagos.
NDLEA Director and Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement yesterday, said Chinedu, known for conveying 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.
Babafemi said a search of the suspect’s carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams were concealed therein.
The 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.
He said “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 car park.”
Babafemi added that another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro Godstime was on Friday 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.
Godstime, he said, 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.”
Babafemi also revealed “At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, NDLEA operatives on Friday 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 Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bed sheets packed in his bags were discovered.
The NDLEA says the suspects are cooperating with ongoing investigations and will be charged accordingly in court, as part of Nigeria’s aggressive crackdown on international drug trafficking syndicates.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”
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