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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and a former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years imprisonment by the Federal High Court, Lagos for importing 7.050 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentence after convicting both men on charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Chinedu, who was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge marked FHC/L/227C/2015 for importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine, had pleaded not guilty and was granted bail. However, he absconded midway into the trial and remained on the run for almost 10 years.
His luck ran out on June 24, 2025, when NDLEA operatives re-arrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grammes of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu, a frequent traveller who ferried clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, had travelled from Turkey through Addis Ababa, where he allegedly collected the cocaine-filled luggage from another person before continuing to Nigeria.
Further investigations uncovered that an accomplice, who turned out to be former professional footballer Segun George Hunkarin, was waiting at the airport car park to receive the illicit consignment.
Hunkarin, who reportedly spent years playing professional football in Brazil, was immediately tracked and arrested.
In his statement, the former footballer admitted that while playing in Brazil, he trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia.
The duo were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge marked FHC/L/669C/2025 bordering on the unlawful importation of 800 grammes of cocaine.
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Delivering judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine. He was also sentenced to an additional two years without the option of fine for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 800 grammes of cocaine, bringing his total jail term to 22 years.
Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail terms of both convicts to 24 years.
While reviewing the case, NDLEA prosecuting counsel, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saidu (now retired) in 2015 but jumped bail after being released.
Relying on several legal authorities, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants in accordance with the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara, who appeared for Chinedu, and Chief Emefo Etudo, counsel to Hunkarin, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to consider imposing fines instead of custodial sentences.
The court, after reviewing the evidence, exhibits and submissions of counsel, sentenced both convicts to prison terms without an option of fine.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), commended the judiciary, describing the verdict as a reaffirmation of the courts’ determination to rid the country of drug trafficking and ensure offenders face justice regardless of how long they evade arrest.
Marwa also praised the officers and men of the agency involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, noting that Chinedu’s eventual capture after nearly a decade on the run demonstrated the resilience, patience and professionalism of NDLEA operatives.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that drug traffickers, irrespective of their status, are brought to justice.
