Fugitive Drug Kingpin, Ex-International Footballer Jailed 24 Years For Cocaine Trafficking

A fugitive drug trafficker and a former international footballer have been sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison for importing cocaine into Nigeria, following their conviction by the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice Musa Kakaki sentenced Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu to 22 years’ imprisonment and former professional footballer Segun George Hunkarin to two years after finding them guilty of offences involving 7.05 kilograms of cocaine.

Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 for importing 6.25 kilograms of cocaine but absconded after being granted bail, remaining on the run for nearly a decade.

He was re-arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, 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, transiting through Ethiopia, where he allegedly collected the suitcase containing the illicit drug before flying to Nigeria.

The NDLEA said Hunkarin, who previously played professional football in Brazil, was waiting in the airport car park to collect the consignment. He was immediately arrested.

According to the agency, Hunkarin admitted during interrogation that he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career.

Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.

Delivering judgment, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for the 2015 cocaine importation offence and an additional two years for conspiring to import the 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total jail term to 22 years.

Hunkarin received a two-year prison sentence for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years.

During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had jumped bail after his initial arraignment in 2015 and urged the court to impose appropriate penalties under the NDLEA Act.

Defence lawyers Benson Ndakara and Emefo Etudo appealed for leniency and asked the court to consider fines instead of custodial sentences, but the request was declined.

Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the conviction as a victory in the fight against drug trafficking.

“The eventual re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly ten years on the run demonstrates the doggedness, patience and thoroughness of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives and ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes the long arm of the law,” Marwa said.

He also commended the judiciary and NDLEA officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to bring drug traffickers to justice, regardless of their status or how long they evade arrest.