TD LAGOS, Nigeria — A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer Hunkarin Segun George have been sentenced to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Lagos for importing 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the judgment after finding both men guilty of offences relating to the unlawful importation of cocaine, rejecting pleas for leniency and declining to grant them the option of paying fines.
Chinedu, who had been on the run for nearly a decade after jumping bail, received 22 years in prison, while Hunkarin was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
Drug Kingpin Re-Arrested After 10 Years
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 before the Federal High Court on a one-count charge of unlawfully importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine.
Although he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, he absconded midway through his trial and remained a fugitive for almost 10 years.
His luck ran out on June 24, 2025, when NDLEA operatives arrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, after he attempted to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigators disclosed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Ethiopia, where he allegedly collected a suitcase containing cocaine before continuing to Lagos.
He was reportedly known as a frequent traveller who transported clothing from Turkey to Nigeria and food items from Nigeria to Turkey.
Former Footballer Arrested at Airport
Further investigation led NDLEA officers to arrest Hunkarin Segun George, a former professional footballer who had played for clubs in Brazil, while he allegedly waited in the airport car park to receive the drug consignment.
During interrogation, Hunkarin reportedly admitted that while playing football in Brazil, he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia.
Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge relating to the unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
Court Rejects Plea for Fine
Delivering judgment, 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 was also sentenced to an additional two years without the option of a fine for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total jail term to 22 years.
Hunkarin received two years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined sentence imposed on both convicts to 24 years.
During the proceedings, NDLEA prosecutor Barrister Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had previously been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saudi (now retired) before absconding after securing bail. He urged the court to impose sentences consistent with the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Counsel for the defendants had appealed for leniency and requested non-custodial punishment through the option of fines, but the court rejected the plea after reviewing the evidence and legal submissions.
Marwa Commends Judiciary
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the court for imposing custodial sentences without the option of fines.
Marwa described the conviction as evidence of the agency’s determination to pursue drug traffickers regardless of how long they attempt to evade justice.
He said Chinedu’s re-arrest after almost a decade on the run demonstrated the NDLEA’s persistence in tracking fugitives and ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes the long arm of the law.
The NDLEA boss added that the judgment reaffirmed the judiciary’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and holding offenders accountable, irrespective of the time that has elapsed since the commission of their crimes.
