Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made a string of high-profile arrests across the country, with an ex-international footballer, two Europe-based businessmen, and even a 72-year-old grandmother caught attempting to traffic hard drugs.
According to a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s spokesperson, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, among those apprehended was Segun George Hunkarin, a former professional footballer with years of experience playing in Brazil.
Hunkarin was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in connection with a failed attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.
Hunkarin’s accomplice, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, a well-known businessman who shuttles frequently between Turkey and Nigeria, was the first to be arrested. NDLEA officials uncovered 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams hidden in his carry-on bag after his arrival from Turkey via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines.
“Chinedu was intercepted at the arrival hall, and intelligence quickly linked him to another suspect waiting at the carpark. That man turned out to be Hunkarin,” an NDLEA officer involved in the operation told reporters.
In his confession, the statement quoted Hunkarin as admitting to previously trafficking drugs from Brazil to Ethiopia.
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“Yes, I’ve trafficked drugs twice in the past, but never into Nigeria,” he reportedly told investigators.
In a separate arrest at MMIA on Friday, June 27, Amen Okoro Godstime, a Europe-based freight operator, was caught with 5,000 pills of Tramadol 225mg disguised as malaria medications such as Lonart, Amatem, and Aluktem. Okoro, who was headed to Spain via Royal Air Maroc, claimed he planned to deliver the drugs to Italy for retail after transiting through France.
“I only wanted to make some money to support my business,” Okoro allegedly said in his statement.
Still on June 27, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel, a 38-year-old bar attendant based in Maputo, Mozambique, was intercepted with a massive haul of methamphetamine (17.5kg) and cocaine (3.05kg). The illicit drugs were concealed inside bedsheets.
On the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, another suspect, Azu Follygan Kpodar, 54, arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil with 1.25kg of liquid cocaine stored inside a plastic soap container labeled “YPE.” Azu claimed he bought the substance while shopping for his wedding in Nigeria.
At Seme border in Lagos, Vode Jean-Luck, a 26-year-old Beninese national, was arrested on June 24 while trying to smuggle 29.5kg of skunk (a potent cannabis strain) into Nigeria. The drugs were neatly packaged in 69 balls.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, notorious drug dealer Mary Bolanle Oladele, popularly known as “Iya Nafi,” was busted during a raid on June 25 in Omu-Aran, Irepodun LGA. NDLEA operatives recovered various quantities of skunk, tramadol, and flunitrazepam from her hideout.
In Warri, Delta State, Mrs. Christy Ejaro, a 72-year-old grandmother, was arrested with several retail sachets of skunk on June 24.
Reacting to the spate of arrests, NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the efforts of officers across various commands.
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“These arrests demonstrate our unwavering resolve to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs. I commend the dedication of our officers in MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme, as well as all those promoting drug demand reduction across the country,” he said.
In line with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, the agency also conducted sensitization sessions in schools across Katsina, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Bayelsa, and Ekiti States during the week.
The statement reiterated its commitment to battling the scourge of drug abuse and trafficking, urging citizens to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity.