A search of his carry-on luggage revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams hidden inside.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, and his business associate, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, over an attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Chinedu, a frequent flyer known for transporting clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs on return trips, was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, upon arrival at the Lagos airport.

A search of his carry-on luggage revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams hidden inside. Investigations showed Chinedu had arrived from Turkey on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, transiting through Addis Ababa, where he collected the drug-laden bag from another individual before continuing to Nigeria.

Further intelligence led to the arrest of his alleged accomplice, Segun Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who played in Brazil.

He was apprehended at the airport car park, where he was waiting to receive the consignment from Chinedu.

“In his statement, Hunkarin claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria,” the statement said.