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 in Lagos for importing cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentences after convicting the duo on charges related to the unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine, following prosecution by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
This was contained in a statement by NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Monday.
According to the NDLEA, Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge of importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine. Although he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, he absconded during his trial and remained on the run for nearly a decade.
It was gathered that on June 24, 2025, when NDLEA operatives re-arrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while attempting to smuggle an additional 800 grams of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Addis Ababa, where he allegedly collected the cocaine-laden luggage from another individual before flying into Nigeria.
The agency said further intelligence led to the arrest of his alleged accomplice, former professional footballer Segun George Hunkarin, who was waiting at the airport car park to receive the consignment.
Hunkarin, who previously played professional football in Brazil, reportedly admitted during interrogation that he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career.
Following their arrest, both men were arraigned before the Federal High Court on a three-count charge bordering on the unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
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In his judgment delivered on July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for the 2015 importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine. He received an additional two-year prison term, also without an option of fine, for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail term for both convicts to 24 years.
During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo urged the court to impose stiff penalties, recalling that Chinedu had jumped bail after his 2015 arraignment and remained a fugitive for almost 10 years.
However, defence counsel pleaded for leniency and requested the court to consider fines instead of custodial sentences, Justice Kakaki declined the request and ordered that both convicts serve prison terms without the option of a fine.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the court for what he described as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to combating drug trafficking.
Marwa also praised the NDLEA officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, saying Chinedu’s eventual arrest after nearly a decade demonstrated the agency’s persistence in tracking down fugitives and ensuring that drug traffickers are brought to justice regardless of how long they evade arrest.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to intensify the fight against illicit drug trafficking across the country.
